NIA takes over probe into alleged arson attack at Kadavumbhagam synagogue

Police personnel posted at the historic Kadavumbhagam Synagogue on Market Road in Kochi following an alleged arson attack. File photo

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the investigation into the alleged arson attack on the premises of the 800-year-old Kadavumbhagam Synagogue in Ernakulam.

The move follows a directive issued by the Union Home Ministry.

Last week, the Kochi City police invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against Ebin Paul, the accused in the case.

He was charged under Sections 15 and 18 of the Act, which deal with offences relating to a terrorist act and conspiracy, respectively. The provisions were invoked in view of the sensitive nature of the site allegedly targeted by the accused.

The police found that instructions had allegedly been passed on to the accused by other individuals. He is also suspected to have received certain payments in cryptocurrency. The police further claimed to have recovered videos showing him conducting reconnaissance of the location and rehearsing the crime.

The accused is suspected to have been involved in three arson incidents in Ernakulam district. Investigators had also found indications that he had identified targets outside the district.

Alleged communications recovered from the accused’s phone, containing references to sensitive targets, including Jewish places of worship, were among the reasons cited for a wider probe by the NIA. The police believed that the possibility of international terror links, the identities of individuals suspected of sending messages to the accused, and the financial transactions connected to the case warranted a thorough examination.