Police in India are conducting a high-level investigation following a series of explosions that resulted in the deaths of three individuals and injured over 50 others in the state of Kerala.
The blasts occurred during a gathering held by Jehovah’s Witnesses, a Christian-based religious movement, on Sunday.
A man was apprehended after he shared a video claiming responsibility for the attacks and subsequently surrendered to the authorities.
Police stated that they are currently in the process of verifying his confession.
“He is currently in our custody, but we have not officially arrested him yet. We are still working to confirm the accuracy of his statement, which will require some time,” stated Pramod Kumar, the Public Relations Officer for the Kerala Police, in an interview with Reuters.
The incident took place during a prayer session organized by Jehovah’s Witnesses in the town of Kalamassery. Approximately 2,000 followers attended the three-day event.
Two fatalities occurred on Sunday, while a 12-year-old girl with burns covering 95% of her body passed away Monday morning.
Preliminary findings from Senior Police Official Shaik Darvesh Saheb suggest that the explosions may have been caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) concealed inside a tiffin box.
Shortly after the incident, a man named Dominic Martin claimed responsibility for the attack.
The 48-year-old individual posted a confession video on Facebook, which has since been deleted, and turned himself in at a nearby police station.
Mr. Martin alleged that he was a registered member of the religious group and was angered by their “anti-national” teachings.
However, TA Sreekumar, a regional spokesperson for the Jehovah’s Witnesses, denied these claims and informed Reuters that he was uncertain if Martin even attended the event.
On Monday, Kerala Health Minister Veena George informed reporters that 17 people had been admitted to various hospitals, with 12 of them in intensive care.
“Four individuals are in critical condition, three of whom are on ventilators. The critically ill patients have burns exceeding 50-60% of their bodies,” she disclosed.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the incident and announced the formation of a 20-member investigative team led by the Assistant Director General of Police.
He also stated that an all-party meeting would be held on Monday to discuss the subsequent actions to be taken.
In the wake of the explosions, increased security measures have been implemented in the Indian capital of Delhi and other cities such as Mumbai.
With contributions from Ashraf Padanna in Kerala
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