May 14, 2025

The Kalamassery police have opened a case following a threatening WhatsApp message received by a Jehovah Witness (JW) spokesperson. The message threatened to bomb JW places of worship and prayer meetings in the State, as well as harm witnesses providing statements in a previous bombing incident. T.A. Sreekumar, the regional spokesperson of JW, reported the threat to the police. The message, received on May 12 at 9:57 p.m., was suspected to have originated from an unidentified number possibly based in Malaysia. The threat came in connection to twin blasts that occurred during a JW congregation in Kalamassery on October 29, 2023. The explosions resulted in eight fatalities and approximately 45 injuries. The case led to the arrest of Martin V.D. from Thammanam as the sole accused. Martin surrendered shortly after the blasts and reportedly confessed to acting alone in triggering the explosions. A chargesheet was filed against him in April 2024 at the Ernakulam District Principal Sessions Court. Despite having 284 witnesses and submitting over 150 material objects and documents to the court, the trial was pending commencement while Martin remained in custody. Initially, the police charged Martin under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) alongside other offenses. However, the UAPA charges were dropped due to the government's refusal to grant prosecution sanction. The decision was made by a committee overseeing UAPA cases. The accused will now face charges under Sections 302 (murder) and 307 (attempted murder) of the Indian Penal Code, as well as provisions of the Explosive Substances Act, 1908.

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Tags: Threats, Jehovah witness, Bombing, Intimidation, Chargesheet,