Thiruvananthapuram: The arson attack near a synagogue in Ernakulam market is being taken seriously and the suspect is being interrogated, Keralam Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said here on Wednesday.
"Interrogation is going on. If needed, national agencies will aslo be involved in it," Chennithala told reporters here.
International terror links suspected
The Kochi city police are also investigating suspected international terror links in an arson attack near a synagogue in Ernakulam Market, with a 32-year-old man arrested within hours of the incident.
The police suspect that the accused, Ebin Paul, a native of Puthencruz near here, may have acted on the instructions of a person he referred to as ‘Boss’.
A preliminary examination of his mobile phone allegedly revealed communications with individuals suspected of having foreign links and members of various online groups, besides messages referring to Jewish places of worship and possible attacks in different cities across the country, police said.
The suspected international connections and possible terror links have not yet been conclusively established, they added.
The arson attack
The incident occurred around 2.30 am on October 12, when a fire was set at Blossom Nursery in front of the Kadavubhagam synagogue in Ernakulam Market, within the limits of the Kochi Central Police Station.
According to the investigation, the accused arrived at the spot in a blue Maruti Suzuki Ignis car, got out of the vehicle, poured petrol on the nursery and set it on fire.
He allegedly recorded the incident on his mobile phone before fleeing.
The police are investigating whether he carried out attacks on designated targets at the direction of a person whose identity has not yet been established, recorded the incidents and sent the footage in return for payment.
The possibility of payments being made through cryptocurrency is also being examined, police said.
They said messages found on the phone referred to Jewish places of worship and attacks in different cities in India.
The police are trying to establish the identities of those involved in the communications, the nature of their links with the accused and whether the arson was part of an organised operation.
The investigation has also uncovered a possible link between the accused and a similar arson incident reported earlier in Muvattupuzha in Ernakulam district.
