The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Mohammed Thoufeek (25), Ferose Khan (28) from Coimbatore, and Umar Faaruq alias K Srinivasan (39) of Coonoor in connection with the Coimbatore car blast on December 7.
NIA’s investigations revealed that Umar Faaruq and Ferose Khan were part of the conspiracy meetings attended by Jamesha Mubin in Umar’s residence at Coonoor in Nilgiris district. Reportedly, Umar, an auto driver, shifted from Coimbatore to Coonoor. During the search at his residence in Coonoor, NIA sleuths are reported to have discovered documents related to the blast. Umar, who was summoned for questioning to the Coimbatore office on Wednesday, December 7, was arrested.
Mubin was driving the car to execute the bomb blast on October 23, but the LPG cylinder he was carrying in the car, exploded while he was driving near Kottai Eswaran temple. Initial investigations revealed that Umar and Ferose extended their support to Mubin to carry out the attack. Thoufeek was alleged to have had incriminating literature/books connected to radical Islam and also had handwritten notes on the preparation of explosives.
The car blast took place in the early hours of October 23 near Kottai Eswaran temple in Ukkadam. Mubeen was charred to death when a gas cylinder exploded. Nails, marbles, and some other items were found in the vehicle.
Mubin, who hailed from Ukkadam, was kept under a watch list after the ‘Coimbatore/Kerala ISIS’ module came under the NIA scanner following Easter day bombings in Sri Lanka and Mubin was questioned by NIA in 2019. He was released as there was no significant evidence against him. But he continued to remain a ‘person of interest’ for both central and state agencies. After Mubin came under the NIA radar, there was an attempt made by the members of the Ukkadam area Jamaat to reach out to him and enrol him into a de-radicalisation programme.