Mangaluru blast: Searches on in various Tamil Nadu areas including Coimbatore

Tamil Nadu Police is conducting searches at various locations in the state, including Coimbatore, following reports of the Mangaluru blast accused having Tamil Nadu connections.

Coimbatore blast accused Jameesha Mubin, who died in the blast, and the Mangaluru blast accused Mohammed Shariq had met in Siringanallur in September. Sources in the Central agencies also told IANS that both Jameesha Mubin and Mohammed Shariq had received funds from a Dubai-based operative, Arafat Ali, who was controlling both the operatives who were trying for lone wolf attacks.

Arafat Ali was an accused in a case registered in Mangaluru in 2020 November and has been absconding since then.

Also Read | Mangaluru blast a wake-up call

The indications of both these killers being on the payroll of an international terror outfit has also not been ruled out by the central agencies.

After the agencies revealed that the Mangaluru blast accused Shariq had a support base in Tamil Nadu, the state police stepped up vigil and are conducting checks in lodges and hotels across the state. The check posts bordering Kerala are also under tight vigil with a DySp-level officer leading the operations in each check post.

Sources in the state police told IANS that some elements of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) from Kerala are staying undercover in Tamil Nadu. It may be noted that the Mangaluru blast accused, Mohammed Shariq had visited Kerala and had stayed for five days at Aluva which was once a hotbed of the Popular Front of India.

Tamil Nadu police have directed shops, lodges, and house owners to install CCTV cameras in their buildings to identify whether any unknown person was frequenting their respective residential or commercial areas.