Former Jehovah’s Witnesses Member Detained for Bombings at Religious Gathering in Kochi, India

October 29, 2023 | Reuters

KOCHI, India, Oct 29 (Reuters) – A former member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses group was detained for questioning about his alleged involvement in setting off homemade bombs at a meeting of the group in the southern Indian state of Kerala on Sunday, killing two women and injuring dozens of other people, police said.

A 53-year-old woman succumbed to burn injuries, bringing fatalities to two. A 12-year-old girl with 95% burns remained in critical condition, according to the health minister Veena George.

Dominic Martin, who posted a video on Facebook claiming responsibility for the attacks, surrendered shortly after noon at a police station in Thrissur district, about 40 kilometers away from the site of the explosions.

“Dominic is still being questioned in Kochi. He is in our custody but we have not recorded his arrest so far,” said police public relations officer Pramod Kumar.

“We are still trying to ascertain the veracity of his statement, it will take some time. We are not in a position to confirm his involvement in the case right now, investigation is ongoing,” Kumar added.

The incident took place during a Jehovah’s Witnesses convention in Kalamassery, about 10 kilometers (6.21 miles) northeast of Kochi city.

TA Sreekumar, regional spokesperson for the Jehovah’s Witnesses, confirmed that Martin was not a registered member of the group. He also stated that around 2,300 people attended the three-day event, but he was unaware if Martin was present.

Sreekumar also confirmed that there were at least two explosions at the convention center.

“I am taking full responsibility for this. I carried out the bomb explosion. I am making this video to make it clear why I did this,” Martin said in a near-six-minute Facebook video which was online for about 4 hours before it disappeared.

Martin claimed that he considered the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ teachings “antinational” about six years ago and that he had tried to communicate his concerns to the group.

Preliminary investigation revealed that an improvised explosive device was used, according to Kerala Director General of Police Shaik Darvesh Saheb.

Local newspaper Mathrubhumi, citing witnesses, reported that at least three explosions occurred inside the convention hall.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the police are taking the incident seriously.

“The explosions occurred seconds after the end of a prayer as part of the day’s event. The first blast took place in the middle of the hall. Seconds later, two more explosions rocked simultaneously on either side of the hall,” Sreekumar had earlier told mathrubhumi.com.

Jehovah’s Witnesses is an international Christian denomination founded in the United States around 1870. They are well-known in many countries for their door-to-door evangelism.

According to the group, they have approximately 60,000 followers in India.

Writing by Swati Bhat; Editing by Gerry Doyle and Bernadette Baum

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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