The Kalamassery police have registered a case after a spokesperson of Jehovah Witness (JW) received a WhatsApp message threatening to bomb its places of worship and prayer meetings across the State.
The message also threatened to kill witnesses who dare to give statements in the case registered in connection with twin blasts that ripped through a large congregation of JW at Kalamassery that killed eight and injured around 45 on October 29, 2023,
T.A. Sreekumar, regional spokesperson with the public information department of JW, received the threatening message on May 12 at 9.57 p.m. reportedly from an unidentified number suspected to be registered in Malaysia. Mr. Sreekumar lodged a petition with the police following which a case was registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sections 196 (promoting enmity between different groups) and 351(3) (criminal intimidation).
Martin V.D., of Thammanam, was arraigned in as the sole accused in the Kalamassery blasts case. Martin, who surrendered within hours after the blasts, had reportedly confessed to have triggered the explosions without any accomplice, following which the police had filed the chargesheet against him before the Ernakulam District Principal Sessions Court in April 2024.
There were 284 witnesses in the case while over 150 material objects and documents were submitted before the court. The chargesheet ran into over 3,500 pages. However, the trial in the case was yet to begin. Martin remains imprisoned.
The police initially invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) along with other charges against the accused. However, the police had to drop the UAPA charges after the government declined prosecution sanction to persist with those charges. The decision to not grant sanction to pursue with the charges was taken by a committee set up under UAPA for reviewing such cases.
The accused will now face charges under Sections 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code; and provisions of the Explosive Substances Act, 1908.
Published – May 14, 2025 06:36 pm IST
