• Man jailed after fatal assault of Kerala blasts on Jehovah’s Witnesses.
• The blasts targeted a program organized by the Christian-based religious movement.
• The initial blast occurred in the middle of a hall.

A man has been arrested by the police in connection with a series of explosions that occurred during a Jehovah’s Witnesses meeting in the southern Indian state of Kerala.

The blasts, which resulted in three fatalities and over 50 injuries, targeted a program organized by the Christian-based religious movement on a Sunday.

The arrested individual, Dominic Martin, was apprehended under an anti-terror law after he had previously posted a video claiming responsibility for the attacks and subsequently surrendered to the police.

The explosions unfolded on the final day of a prayer session hosted by Jehovah’s Witnesses in the town of Kalamassery, situated approximately 10 kilometers (six miles) northeast of the port city of Kochi (Cochin). The event was attended by more than 2,000 people over the course of three days.

According to TA Sreekumar, a regional spokesperson for Jehovah’s Witnesses, the initial blast occurred in the middle of a hall, followed by two more explosions on either side of the hall mere seconds later.

Tragically, two women who had attended the gathering lost their lives on the day of the incident, and a 12-year-old girl, who had sustained 95% burns, succumbed to her injuries the following day.

Dominic Martin posted a video on Facebook, claiming to be a former member of Jehovah’s Witnesses who orchestrated the blasts due to his disagreement with the group’s teachings shortly after the explosions.

However, Mr. Sreekumer, another representative of the organization, clarified that Mr. Martin was “not a registered member.”

Police reports reveal that Mr. Martin hails from Kerala and had previously worked in Dubai.

Kochi city police commissioner A Akbar stated on Monday that they were convinced of his involvement in the crime based on his confession and collected corroborating evidence. Mr. Martin was reported to be cooperating with the police.

The explosions had a profound impact across the nation, prompting heightened security measures in cities like Delhi and Mumbai.

Jehovah’s Witnesses is a religious movement that believes traditional Christian churches have strayed from the true teachings of the Bible and that Armageddon is imminent.

The group claims to have approximately 8.7 million followers worldwide, with around 60,000 in India, and maintains a robust presence in Kerala, known for its door-to-door evangelism.

One member of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Queen Richard, who was present in the hall when the explosions occurred, initially assumed a short circuit had caused the blast.

She described a terrifying scene with a large flame and recounted the difficulties she and her disabled husband faced when attempting to leave the hall, with her fainting upon reaching the outside.

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