While Congress blamed CPI(M) workers, the Left party’s state secretary MV Govindan denied any affiliations with the accused.
Published Apr 05, 2024 | 3:45 PM ⚊ Updated Apr 05, 2024 | 3:46 PM
Bomb blast. Representational Image. (iStock)
One person was killed and another seriously injured in a suspected crude bomb blast near Panur in Kannur district of Kerala in the early hours of Friday, 5 April, police said.
The incident occurred around 1 am, and the Opposition Congress alleged that the blast happened during the manufacturing of country-made bombs.
Sherin, a resident of Kaivelikkal, succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Kozhikode. The other injured person, Vineesh, lost one palm and is in critical condition, according to the police.
Both of them are supporters of the CPI(M), said police.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan said that both of them did not have any affiliations with the party.
He said that the party had already distanced itself from the two people.
Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly VD Satheesan blamed the ruling CPI(M) for the incident. He alleged that the Left party is using its workers to manufacture country-made bombs and worsening the law-and-order situation during the elections.
Satheesan questioned Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who is in charge of the Home Department, citing a similar incident that occurred recently in Thiruvananthapuram two days ago.
On Wednesday, two teenagers were seriously injured when a country-made bomb they were allegedly making exploded in a vacant land at Horizon Park near Mannanthala in Thiruvananthapuram.
One of them lost both his palms, and the other suffered partial damage to one palm. Two others who were with them sustained minor injuries.
Police revealed that all four teenagers were between 17 and 18 years old and had been involved in various criminal cases.
Mannanthala Police Station’s State House Officer (SHO) Biju KR had 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.
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.
