Chennai, Nov 11 (IANS): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has begun interrogating three suspects in the Coimbatore car bomb blast case that occurred on October 23, 2022.

In the incident, a 29-year-old suicide bomber, Jamish Mubin, lost his life.

The NIA took over the investigation, and to date, 18 individuals have been arrested in connection with the conspiracy and the blast.

Recently, the agency detained three accused: Aboo Hanifa, Saran Mariappan, and Pavas Rahman. The special NIA court has granted the agency six days’ custody for questioning, allowing the NIA to hold the suspects until November 14.

During this time, officials will escort the accused to various locations in Coimbatore and other areas as part of evidence-gathering efforts.

According to the agency, the three suspects conspired to arrange funding for the attack.

One of the arrested, Aboo Hanifa, worked as an Arabic faculty member at Kovai Arabic College, where Mubin and others involved in the case were reportedly radicalised toward Islamic State ideology.

The NIA disclosed that Mubin had pledged allegiance, or “bayath,” to Abu-Al-Hasan Al-Hashimi Al-Qurashi, the self-proclaimed caliph of the Islamic State at that time.

With these recent arrests, the total number of people apprehended in connection with the car blast case has risen to 18.

The NIA has already filed four chargesheets against 15 accused in the NIA Special Court at Poonamallee, Chennai.

The agency stated that its investigation into the radicalisation of vulnerable youths in Tamil Nadu and other South Indian states is ongoing.

Earlier this year, the NIA conducted raids across Tamil Nadu and select locations in Hyderabad as part of this case.