ED Conducts Raids In 2022 Coimbatore Car Bomb Blast Investigation
Fresh raids intensify terror funding investigation.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday carried out searches at multiple locations across Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Maharashtra as part of a money laundering investigation linked to the 2022 Coimbatore car bomb blast case. According to officials, raids were conducted at 16 premises in Chennai and Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, Hyderabad and Mumbai. The agency is probing alleged terror financing linked to the explosion, which is being investigated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The ED said it initiated the money laundering case after taking cognisance of multiple FIRs registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the October 2022 blast near the Sangameshwarar Temple in Coimbatore. The agency alleged that the attack was carried out by Jamesha Mubeen, who died in the explosion, along with others in what it described as an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack involving a modified car loaded with explosives.
According to the ED, its investigation indicates that the accused allegedly financed their activities through two channels. The agency claimed that funds were generated by operating a fake COVID-19 vaccination certificate racket during the pandemic and through fraudulent investments or donations linked to Kovai Arabic College in Coimbatore. The ED alleged that people seeking fake vaccination certificates without receiving the vaccine paid money, which was subsequently used to fund the accused's activities.
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The agency further alleged that 12 accused persons, including Jamesha Mubeen, attended online and offline sessions conducted by Kovai Arabic College. According to the ED, they were allegedly mentored by Jameel Basha, identified as the promoter of the institution, and were subsequently indoctrinated with Salafi-Jihadi ideology before allegedly conspiring to carry out the attack in support of the banned terrorist organisation ISIS. These allegations form part of the ongoing investigation and are yet to be tested in court.
Jamesha Mubeen was killed in the explosion that occurred on October 23, 2022, near the Sangameswarar Temple at Kottaimedu in Coimbatore. The ED said the searches are aimed at tracing the alleged financial network behind the attack and identifying individuals involved in terror funding. Further investigation is underway, and the agency has not yet disclosed the outcome of the searches or whether any additional action has been taken.
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