A person was charred to death when a cooking gas cylinder in a car exploded with a loud noise near Kotmademu Iswaran Temple in Coimbatore in the early hours of the morning. Was it an accident or a conspiracy? DGP Shailendra Babu, who inspected the scene in person, said that it will be known at the end of the investigation.
There is an ancient temple of Sangameswarar (Fort Iswaran) at Kotdaimet near Ukkadam, Coimbatore. There are many residences and shops around this temple.
In this case, a Maruti car was going from Kotsamet to the Town Hall bus stand at 4.10 am yesterday. When the car went up and down on the speed barrier near the Fort Iswaran Temple, suddenly the car burst into flames with a loud explosion. The car was engulfed in flames when residents of the neighborhood came running after hearing the noise. Immediately, Ukkadam Police and Coimbatore South Fire Station were informed.
Police rushed to the spot. The fire department rushed to the spot and extinguished the fire. In this accident, the car broke into two pieces and collapsed. The person who was driving the car was recovered with charred body.
Coimbatore Police Commissioner V. Balakrishnan and North Deputy Commissioner Mathivanan also came and expedited the investigation.
The forensic department collected clues there. They investigated whether there were any explosives or explosive drugs in the car. Scattered car parts, cylinders, balrus shells and nails were seized and sent for examination. The Bomb Squad police conducted a thorough search with 2 sniffer dogs.
Meanwhile, on hearing the information, members of the BJP and various Hindu organizations gathered there. They suspected that there might have been a conspiracy to destroy the temple. The police blocked Iswaran Koil Road with barricades so that no one could go to the accident site. Devotees are not allowed in the temple.
Ukkadam police have registered a case regarding the incident. Preliminary investigation revealed that the fire started due to gas leakage and explosion in the gas cooking cylinder in the car.
DGP Shailendra Babu and Additional DGP Thamaraikannan also reached the spot and expedited the investigation.
Ammunition seized from deceased’s house: DGP information
DGP Shailendra Babu told reporters in Coimbatore. A case has been registered at the Ukkadam police station under sections of the Explosives Prohibition Act in connection with the incident in which a cylinder exploded in a car. The deceased was Ukkadam GM. It was revealed that Jamesha Mubin (25) from the city. During the search of his house, drugs and chemical materials for making homemade explosives were found and seized. There are no cases against him.
We have also identified where the cylinder came from. Where he went will be known only at the end of the investigation. We don’t know what he had planned. Less likely to commit suicide. A decision on NIA investigation will be taken later. This was said by the DGP.
Jamesha Mubin, who died, was a second-hand cloth dealer. It has also been revealed that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials have interrogated him in connection with a case in 2019.
Is it a conspiracy to destroy the Sangameswarar temple?
The police are also actively investigating the satia, which was planned to demolish the ancient Sangameswarar temple in Coimbatore.
Forensic experts have recovered balrus shells, nails and golly shells used by children as key clues at the car blast site. This has made the police suspicious.
When we inquired about the car registration number, the local transport office records showed the name of the old owner Prabhakaran, but the current owner was not known. Besides, the ‘engine chassis’ number of the car is in someone else’s name. It seems that this car may have been created by combining parts from different cars. So, it was not an accidental accident; Police believe it may be a premeditated conspiracy.
Police are also investigating whether the incident was planned to disrupt the Diwali celebrations or to demolish the ancient fort Sangameswarar temple.
The car was completely destroyed in the accident. Gas leakage from the cylinder is not the only cause. The intelligence department has raised suspicions that explosives were kept in the car and may have caused the fire. Cylinder burst accidents happen widely in many places. The local police will investigate. In the present accident, high officials including DGP, ATGP have come and investigated in person and bomb experts and forensic experts have examined the importance of this accident.
“A serious investigation is being conducted by 6 special forces. Nothing can be said at present on the assumption. It will be known only after the reports regarding the presence of explosives in the car,” said senior officials of the police department.
Forensic experts are closely examining the crashed car for any traces of explosives. It is said by the authorities that it will be known whether the incident was an accident or a conspiracy only after getting the full details about it.