The investigation into a fire at a horticulture nursery near Kochi’s Kadavumbhagam Synagogue has widened after police recovered communications referring to Jewish places of worship, attacks in multiple cities and alleged reconnaissance of potential targets. Investigators are examining whether the incident was a test run for a broader organised operation, while stressing that no terror network or imminent attack has been publicly established.
A statement issued by Kochi police said communications recovered from the phone of the accused contained references to various targets, including Jewish religious sites, as well as messages related to attacks in different cities. Police are investigating whether the material points to international terrorist links or organised planning involving multiple locations.
The accused, identified as Ebin Paul, has been booked under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, including Sections 15 and 18, which relate to terrorist acts and conspiracy. Police are examining the accused’s alleged role, the source of the instructions and whether the fire was connected to other incidents in and around Ernakulam.
Kochi city police commissioner Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar had earlier said investigators were examining the possibility that Paul acted on instructions and received cryptocurrency, including USDT. Police have also referred to visuals allegedly connected to reconnaissance, the nursery fire and practice runs before the incident.
Three other incidents suspected to be practice runs were registered in Ernakulam rural, while the commissioner described the Kochi case as part of a combination of four incidents in the district. Investigators are now examining whether these incidents were connected and whether the alleged operation extended beyond Ernakulam to other cities and states.
The financial trail is another focus of the inquiry. Police are seeking to trace cryptocurrency transactions, identify the people who sent the messages and establish whether the communications are linked to other criminal incidents. The investigation is also examining the identities of those behind the alleged planning and the intended targets mentioned in the recovered material.
The anti-terror squad has been involved from the beginning, according to the police, and state and central agencies have been alerted to assist with evidence collection and the wider conspiracy investigation. A decision on whether to transfer the case to the National Investigation Agency will depend on the seriousness and scope of the findings.
Police have not publicly established that an organised terror network directed the nursery fire, nor that attacks on the other sites were imminent. The references to Jewish places of worship, alleged reconnaissance, practice runs and cryptocurrency transactions remain subject to investigation. The next stage will focus on verifying the communications, tracing the financial links and determining whether the incidents form part of a connected operation.
