The National Investigation Agency (NIA) announced on Friday that Tahanaseer had been taken into custody in connection with the IS-inspired car bomb blast case in Coimbatore, wherein suicide bomber Jamesha Mubeen was killed when his vehicle carrying an IED exploded.
In this case, this is the fifteenth arrest.
An NIA spokesperson said that Tahanaseer, a resident of Coimbator, conspired with other accused persons Mubeen and Mohammed Thoufeek to commit the terror attack, which took place in front of the ancient Arulmigu Kottai Sangameshwarar Thirukovil temple at Eswaran Kovil Street, Ukkadam in Coimbatore on October 23 last year.
According to the official, Mohammed Thoufeeq and Tahanaseer had a close relationship with the deceased Mubeen, who was operating the vehicle that contained the improvised explosive device (IED).
“Investigations revealed that Tahanaseer and Thoufeeq had visited the residence of Mubeen, exactly one week prior to the attack, during which they conspired to carry out the act of terror,” according to the official.
The official said that scrutiny of Tahanaseer’s digital device also revealed that he was in possession of IS inspired literature and had deliberately attempted to cover his tracks by deleting the incriminating material, by employing specific mobile-based application software and apps following the terror incident, in an apparent bid to evade the attention of law enforcement agencies.
“Investigations uncovered that Mubeen was deeply inspired and motivated by the radical ISIS ideology,” the official said, adding that Mubeen prior to carrying out the terror attack, had sworn allegiance by giving ‘bayat’ to Abu-Al-Hasan Al-Hashimi Al-Qurashi, the self-proclaimed Caliph of IS at the time.
The case was first filed by the Coimbatore City Ukkadam Police Station. It was then turned over to the NIA, which formally re-filed it on October 27 of last year.
On April 20 and June 2, 2023, the NIA filed two distinct chargesheets against 11 suspects in the case before the NIA Court in Chennai.
