Overview

• The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a fourth supplementary chargesheet in the 2022 Coimbatore car bomb blast case, naming five additional accused.
• The accused include Sheikh Hidayathullah, Umar Faaruq, Pavas Rahman, Sharan Mariappan, and Aboo Hanifa, who face charges of terror financing and conspiracy.
• Hidayathullah and Faaruq orchestrated a fake COVID vaccine certificate scam to fund explosives and resources for the attack, facilitated by Rahman and Mariappan, with Hanifa providing financial support.
• The attack, carried out by suicide bomber Jamesha Mubeen using a Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED), targeted the Arulmigu Kottai Sangameshwarar Temple and was linked to ISIS ideology.
• The accused aimed to avenge the 2019 arrest of their leader, Mohammed Azharuddin, and held planning meetings in a high-security prison and a forest reserve prior to the attack.