Kerala blasts: Kochi man detonated bomb using remote control, say police

A special investigation team is questioning a man who surrendered before it earlier in the day, claiming responsibility for the multiple blasts at a convention centre in Kochi even as one more person succumbed to her burn injuries, taking death toll to two.

The woman has been identified as Kumari (53), a native of Thodupuzha. She had suffered over 90 per cent burn injuries in the explosion.

Police said they have found incriminating evidence, including the visuals of remote control allegedly used to detonate bomb, from the suspect’s mobile phone.

His search history showed he had learned certain techniques of making bomb from YouTube, said the investigators.

The suspect, identified as Dominic Martin, has been brought to the police camp in Aluva for further interrogation. Police have also searched his house in Kochi.

One person was killed and over 50 others were injured, some seriously, as three blasts shook a convention centre at Kalamssery in the port city on Sunday morning, sending shock waves across the state.

Hundreds of followers of Jehovah's Witnesses had assembled at the centre on the concluding day of their three-day-long prayer meeting.

According to the preliminary probe, an improvised explosive device (IED) was used to carry out the blasts, State Police Chief Shaik Darvesh Saheb told reporters.

Martin surrendered before Thrissur’s Kodakara police in the afternoon soon after he went live on Facebook, saying the Christian denomination had refused to change its ways despite multiple requests.

"Their ideology is wrong. Jehovah's Witnesses, your ideology is wrong. You do not help anyone or respect anyone. You want everyone to be destroyed, except yourself. That is your ideology," he alleged. 

Martin later told police that he had sought reforms in the activities of the Christian group and that the bombs were detonated as his demands were not heeded.

Meanwhile, the police could not yet ascertain the identity of the first woman who was killed in the blasts.

The entire state has been put on high alert with police teams and security agencies conducting searches in public places including airports, bus and train stations.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has called an all-party meeting on Monday.