Chennai, Dec 7 (IANS): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday arrested three more persons in connection with the car bomb blast in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore on October 23 in which a 29-year-old youth, Jameesha Mubin was charred to death.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Ummer Farooq (39), Mohammed Thoufiq (24), and Feroze Khan (28).
The NIA has been conducting searches and arrests ever since the suspected lone wolf attack on October 23.
The NIA has arrested six persons in connection with the blast earlier and they were charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and remanded to judicial custody.
The arrested six include Mohammed Talka, nephew of S.A. Basha, Al Umma founder, a terrorist jailed in the Coimbatore blast case of February 14, 1998 in which 56 people were killed and over 200 injured.
NIA has conducted raids in many parts of Coimbatore, Tiruchy and Madurai districts and questioned several people in connection with the case.
It may be recalled that the accused in the Mangaluru autorickshaw blast case, Mohammed Shareeq had stayed at some areas of Coimbatore, Madurai and Kanniyakumari districts and the police and NIA have questioned many people with regard to this.
The NIA had earlier stated that both Jameesha Mubin and Mohammed Shareeq were known to each other and had conspired at a mansion in Tamil Nadu.
They had a handler -- Arafat Ali, based out of Dubai who had funded them.
"Upon preliminary investigations, it has emerged that the deceased accused, Jameesha Mubeen, after taking 'bayath' to the IS, planned to carry out a suicidal attack and cause extensive damage to symbols and monuments of a particular religious faith and with the intention to strike terror among the people," the NIA said.
Investigations have revealed that accused persons Ummer Farooq and Feroze Khan were part of the conspiracy meetings attended by Jamesha Mubeen in Umar's residence at Coonor, Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu and also provided support to Jamesha Mubeen in the commission of the terror acts.
Mohammed Thoufiq was in possession of incriminating literature, books connected to radicalism, and also had handwritten notes on preparation of explosives.