More than 50 people were injured and 3 killed in a blast at Kalamassery in Kerala's Kochi on Sunday 29 October 2023. The explosion happened during a prayer meeting of the Christian denomination "Jehovah's Witnesses." There were over 2,000 people inside the hall when the blast took place. Some eyewitnesses claimed that three explosions had taken place within a few minutes.Police said they were on the spot to investigate along with the Kerala Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). According to Kalamassery Police, they rushed to the spot when they got the information at around 9:00 a.m. Visuals on local TV channels showed fire rescue and police personnel in large numbers evacuating people from the site. Many people were seen outside the convention centre after the explosion. They said the cause of the blast or whether there was more than one wasn't confirmed. The injured persons were rushed to the Government Medical College Hospital. Sources that explosives were placed in a tiffin box. The nature of the blast or if anyone was behind it was not known presently. Meanwhile, Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to CM Pinarayi Vijayan on the phone to take stock of the situation's aftermath. A 48-year-old man from Kochi, Kerala, surrendered before the Thrissur Police on Sunday evening. The man has been identified as Dominic Martin. He willingly surrendered to the police, who are now conducting a thorough investigation into his possible psychological condition. His bag containing suspicious materials has also been seized. Meanwhile, another man was detained at Kannur Railway Station after police discovered suspicious items in his bag.

Security has been increased in Delhi and Mumbai following the serial blasts. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has called an all-party meeting in the state capital on Monday to discuss the development. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that he is monitoring the situation closely. A 20-member police team will oversee the investigation of the Kerala blasts case. A National Security Guard (NSG) team arrived from Delhi at Kerala's Ernakulam at the blast site. Meanwhile, Delhi has been put on high alert after the Kerala blast incident. Instructions have been issued to increase the security of all churches in Delhi. Before surrendering to the police, Martin released a video on social media, explaining why he decided to target the Christian sect. In the video, the man, who appears to be in his 50s, claimed that he did not agree with the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses and wanted to stop their activities. He asserted that their ideas are "dangerous to the country" and that they are "poisoning young minds". Martin also claimed he was associated with Jehovah's Witnesses years ago. 

In the 6-minute video which has gone viral on social media, Martin said, “I take complete responsibility for that. It was me who conducted the blast there.” Explaining his motive, he said “Six years ago, I realised that this organisation was on the wrong path, and their teachings were anti-national. I asked them to correct it several times. However, they were never ready to do that.” He further said, “Nothing wrong with having a belief. But what they teach is that everyone in this world will perish, and they will continue to live. What should we do about a group that wishes for the end of 850 crore people? I could not find a way. I decided to respond to this wrong ideology since I am totally aware of it”. "Living in this country, they demean the entire people here by calling them prostitutes and doomed. They ask their men not to join hands with others, and don't eat food with them. I realised that this was a wrong ideology," Martin continued in his message. He also alleged that the group asks adults not to vote and refrain from joining military services. "If you are not controlling these kinds of groups that are spreading dangerous ideas, it will be people like me who will have to sacrifice lives," Martin added. The police have confirmed that Dominic Martin has surrendered. However, they stated that the officials were thoroughly interrogating him and verifying the claims. So far, the police have not confirmed if he is indeed behind the explosions.

Tags

• kerala
• bomb blast
• jehovah witnesses
• Kalamassery

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