It was part of a larger terror plan that reached across several states, Kochi City Police Commissioner Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar said today. The arson attack outside the historic Kadavumbhagam Synagogue in Kochi on October 12 was not a simple act of violence.
Accused was given specific tasks by a handler, paid in cryptocurrency, and similar attacks were planned in multiple states, police said.
A handler gave Paul specific tasks, and money was sent to him through cryptocurrency. Paul is from Vadayampady near Puthencruz, close to Kolenchery in Ernakulam district. He is a design graduate who studied in Pune, and a police team has travelled there to look into his background.
Two weeks ago, a 32-year-old man identified as Ebin Paul set fire to Blossom Nursery, located opposite the Kadavumbhagam Synagogue in Ernakulam Market.
The accused arrived in a blue Maruti Suzuki Ignis, poured petrol on the premises, set it on fire and recorded the incident on his mobile phone before fleeing, according to police. READ | Kerala Man Arrested For Arson Near Kochi Synagogue, Foreign Link Under Probe The Commissioner said the attack, carried out in the early hours of October 12, was a “test case”. The accused was first made to prove himself in Kochi and was then “promoted” for bigger tasks, police said. More than one person was involved, according to the Commissioner. He was undergoing treatment for depression and was doing design work from home, according to Paul’s family.
Police say he had earlier carried out similar arson attacks in Muvattupuzha in Ernakulam district.
