Accused Dominic Martin said the sect's teachings were seditious and he planned the attack since it did not heed to his advice.
Dominic Martin in his video message. (Screengrab)
A day of tragedy and dramatic developments ended with the police confirming that Dominic Martin, who surrendered in Thrissur, was responsible for the multiple blasts at a convention centre in Kochi that killed two women and injured 51 others.
While one woman was killed instantly, the other woman, Kumari, 53, of Kaliyar in Idukki, died while undergoing treatment for 90 percent burns. The woman who was killed in the hall has not been identified.
After the blasts, Martin went live on Facebook and claimed responsibility. He added that he would be surrendering before the police. He later went to the Kodakara police station and surrendered.
A prayer meeting of a Christian sect, Jehovah’s Witnesses, was underway when three Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) went off at the Zamra Convention and Exhibition Centre at Kalamassery.
Identifying himself to be a member of the sect, Martin said he planned the attack since the teachings of Jehova’s Witnesses were seditious.
The cult’s PRO, K. Sreekumar, said Martin was not known to the organisation.
The man, who had been working in Dubai, returned home a month ago and was living with his wife and daughter at a rented accommodation in Thammanam. Reports said he hailed from Chilavannoor near Kadavanthra in Kochi.
The man claimed that he learnt to make the explosives with the help of YouTube videos, and had been preparing for the attack for the past six months.
The police, after questioning him, arrested him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Relevant sections of the IPC and Explosives Act, too, have been invoked.
Soon after his surrender, a police team reached Martin’s house in Thammanam and questioned his wife. According to reports, the woman was unaware of his plan. She reportedly told the police that Martin had left the house around 5 am.
Martin’s surrender came amidst a sustained online campaign saying the blasts were the handiwork of Islamic terrorists. Some social media handles, suspected to be that of right-wingers, even said that the attack was a jihadi plot by terrorists to take revenge on the Israeli attack on Hamas.
Reports said Martin was in the hall when the explosives went off. He allegedly triggered the blasts using a remote control device. He later rode his scooter to Thrissur, where he surrendered.
Though the accused claimed that he had acted alone, the investigators are probing if he had received help. The shops from where procured the material to make the explosives have been identified.
The owner of Martin’s rented house said the accused and family have been living there for the past five-and-a-half years. He did not mingle much with the neighbours, who were shocked to know of his role in the incident.
Fake social media campaigns claimed Kalamassery was a Jewish locality in Kerala and the jihadis were hellbent on destroying it.
Meanwhile, the police were trying the identify the woman killed in hall. Speaking to reporters earlier, ADGP (Law and order) MR Ajith Kumar said a “suspected lady” was killed in the blast.
Of the 52 injured, 18 have been admitted to the intensive care units of various hospitals, state Health Minister Veena George said. Six of them, including a 12-year-old girl with 90 percent buns, were in critical condition. A medical board has been constituted to ensure quality treatment for the patients.
Soon after the incident, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and took stock of the situation. Shah also directed anti-terror agencies such as the NSG and the National Investigative Agency (NIA) to send teams to Kerala to assist the state government.
Vijayan, currently in Delhi, has called for an all-party meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday.
According to eyewitnesses, the explosions occurred at the centre of the hall.
“The blast occurred five minutes after the prayer session had begun. Approximately 2,000 people were in the hall. The three-day convention began on Friday and was scheduled to end on Sunday,” an eyewitness told local television channels.
The police and the fire department personnel reached the scene within minutes and began rescue operations.
Amidst the chaos that followed the explosion, eyewitnesses recounted the terrifying moments that left the venue in a state of shock and grief.
Outside the convention centre, where hundreds had gathered, faces were etched with anxiety and tears. Inside, amidst the gloom and mystery that enveloped the site, police officers and firefighters searched for injured attendees.
Recounting her shocking experience, an elderly woman said, “When I opened my eyes after hearing the first blast, all I saw was a fireball in front of me. Nothing… nothing more… just a fireball. Everybody ran here and there. It was a sprawling hall, and a large number of people were inside.”
Below is the translated text of Martin’s statement that he made in Malayalam.
“I accept full responsibility for the explosion. I was the one who carried out the attack. I’ve been involved with the Jehovah’s Witnesses for almost 16 years. Initially, I did not take them seriously. Most of their lessons were amusing.
“But during the past six years, I’ve made an effort to seriously study what they’re teaching. I quickly realised that they were presenting a faulty philosophy. I realised their doctrines are anti-national.
“I requested them to fix the doctrines. They were not ready. I asked them to fix their errors several times. They used derogatory rhetoric against the people of the country, referring to them as the children of whores. They also referred to the country’s people as castes that needed to be erased.
“They rejected my pleas to make the group more inclusive. They trained individuals not to share their meals with the rest of the population. It’s a harmful philosophy. I realised it after it was too late.
“They trained a four-year-old toddler not to eat sweets presented by another child. From the age of four, parents instill communal poison and bigotry in their children’s thoughts.
“They instructed children not to sing the national anthem. They taught them not to use the universal adult franchise after they reached adulthood and became citizens of the democratic system.
“Others were labelled as sinners by them. They treat others as indecent individuals. They preached against serving in the national army, warned against joining the government. They do not even permit the teaching profession. They think these jobs are only for the ephemeral.
“They teach that everyone else in the world will perish except them. What can we do with a collective that wants to destroy 850 million people? I was unable to come up with a solution. I looked for ways to go against the false philosophy.
“I felt compelled to resist them. I was forced to make this decision because I knew how dangerous this organisation is to the country and its people.
“Ordinary people like me are forced to risk their lives since the authorities are not regulating such disastrous ideologies. How can we accept a community that refers to your mother and sister as prostitutes?
“How can we condemn the people who are around? What degenerated thinking these folks have! They will believe they are right if I do not respond to their teachings.
“The paths of Jehovah’s Witnesses are incorrect. They never show respect for or aid others. During the floods, they only cleaned up the homes of individuals who were connected to their community.
“I arrived at this conclusion after much deliberation. The erroneous philosophy must be crushed. We must not promote a mindset that seeks to destroy others. I am certain that this organisation is entirely unnecessary for this land.
“Don’t telecast the blast method used the way I designed it. It would be dangerous if it is spread. It could be misused.”
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