Published Oct 14, 2026 | 9:25 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 14, 2026 | 9:25 AM
CCTV footage showed Paul arriving in a blue car, parking it and walking towards the spot with a container of petrol.
Synopsis: Keralam Police suspect that Ebin B Paul, 32, was paid in cryptocurrency to carry out the 12 October arson attack near the Kadavubhagam Synagogue in Ernakulam Market on instructions from an anonymous Telegram account. During interrogation, Paul admitted to a similar attack on a used-car showroom in Muvattupuzha, according to police, who are investigating whether the two attacks are connected. Separately, police seized several narcotic substances, including heroin, fentanyl, ketamine and alprazolam, from Paul’s residence in Vadayambadi.
Keralam Police suspect Ebin B Paul, arrested for the arson attack near the Kadavubhagam Synagogue at Ernakulam Market, was paid in cryptocurrency to carry out the attack on instructions from an anonymous Telegram account.
Paul, 32, a native of Vadayambadi in Puthencruz, was arrested by the Ernakulam Central Police.
The attack took place around 2.30 am on the morning of Monday, 12 October, when banners and flex boards at a horticulture nursery near the synagogue were set on fire after being doused with petrol.
CCTV footage showed Paul arriving in a blue car, parking it and walking towards the spot with a container of petrol. He is suspected of recording the act on his mobile phone.
The Kadavubhagam Synagogue in Mattancherry was built around 1549.
Police also found indications that Paul acted on instructions from a person identified as “Boss” through an anonymous Telegram account. They suspect he received cryptocurrency after sending the person a video of the attack. Documents seized during the investigation point to possible links between Paul and a suspicious group, police said.
The identity of the alleged handler and the group, as well as the motive for the attack, remain to be established.
During interrogation, Paul admitted to a similar attack on a used-car showroom in Muvattupuzha, according to police, who are investigating whether the two attacks are connected.
The Kadavubhagam Synagogue in Mattancherry was built around 1549. It has been under round-the-clock police protection for the past few weeks amid recurring conflicts in West Asia. Despite the security deployment, the attack initially went unnoticed by the police.
Separately, the Puthencruz Police seized narcotic substances from Paul’s residence at Patham Mile in Vadayambadi, acting on information from the Ernakulam Central Police.
The seizure included 3.613 g of white heroin, 2.736 g of brown heroin, 2.361 g of oxycodone, 5.264 g of fentanyl, 20.171 g of alprazolam and 50.883 g of ketamine, among other substances.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
