Two more arrested in Coimbatore car bomb blast case, says NIA

India

oi-PTI

New
Delhi,
Dec
28:
Two
persons
were
arrested
on
Wednesday
in
connection
with
a
car
bomb
explosion
outside
a
temple
in
Tamil
Nadu,
taking
the
number
of
people
held
in
the
case
to
11,
an
official
of
the
National
Investigation
Agency
said.

Sheikh
Hidayathullah
and
Sanofar
Ali,
both
residents
of
Coimbatore,
were
arrested
after
the
ongoing
probe
pointed
to
their
involvement
in
the
criminal
conspiracy
to
cause
the
terror
attack,
a
spokesperson
of
the
NIA
said.

The
blast
in
a
car
laden
with
explosives
outside
Kottai
Eswaran
Temple
on
October
23
on
the
eve
of
Diwali
left
its
driver
Jamesha
Mubeen,
who
had
joined
the
global
terror
group
ISIS,
dead.
The
case
was
initially
registered
at
Ukkadam
police
station
in
Coimbatore
district
on
October
23
and
re-registered
by
the
NIA
on
October
27.
Nine
accused
have
been
arrested
in
the
case
earlier,
the
spokesperson
said.

“Investigations
revealed
that
the
arrested
persons
(Hidayatullah
and
Ali)
had
entered
into
a
criminal
conspiracy
in
the
interior
of
forested
regions
of
Asanoor
and
Kadambur
areas
of
Sathyamangalam
forest
in
Erode
district
in
February.

“The
meetings
were
led
by
previously
arrested
accused
Umar
Farook…where
they
conspired
to
prepare
for
and
execute
terror
acts,”
the
spokesperson
said.
The
aim
was
to
cause
extensive
damage
to
the
place
of
worship
with
the
intention
to
strike
terror
in
the
community,
the
spokesperson
said.