Sinister plans? 4 Kerala youth, including a minor, injured while making a bomb

One youth suffered severe injuries, losing both palms, while the other three sustained minor injuries. Police said they had recorded the arrest of three — including a juvenile.

The one who suffered severe injuries has been named as the first accused in the case. He has been identified as Anirudh alias Tintu, and is currently admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. He has not been formally arrested yet.

The other two accused have been identified as 22-year-old Akhilesh of Anadu and 18-year-old Kiran of Vengode. They were produced before a court and were remanded in judicial custody.

The fourth accused in the case, the juvenile was presented before the Principal Magistrate and Juvenile Justice Board and sent to appropriate remand.

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Motive unclear

Mannanthala Police Station’s State House Officer (SHO) Biju KR told South First that police had not ruled out the possibility of the country bomb being intended for an attack — either targeting specific individuals or law enforcement personnel.

“We are working to uncover all the details of the incident and determine the intended target or purpose of the country bomb. So far, we have received no clues on the motive behind the making of country bombs,” he said.

The SHO added that it was only after the interrogation of the accused that more details might come to light on the motives and background. “We will file a custody application,” said Biju.

Meanwhile, the cops on Thursday collected evidence from the blast site with the help of ballistic experts from the State Forensic Science Laboratory.

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‘Repeat offenders’

According to police, the four were habitual offenders and had cases ranging from theft, NDPS Act, and Explosives Act against them.

“We are collecting their details. They are involved in theft. They also have a history of possession of drugs and making of explosives,” said a police officer.

According to the officer, a police team had gone to their respective houses in search of them in connection with a theft case, and this might have irked them.

“Maybe the country bomb was made to attack the cops. However, we are yet to confirm that,” he said.

(Edited by Arkadev Ghoshal)