Inquiries into a mysterious car fire and explosion in Coimbatore in the wee hours of Sunday turned into full-scale terror investigation after preliminary evidence revealed the presence of nails and ball bearings, which extremists use to increase damages that crude bombs can wreak. Though the car driver’s body was charred, police identified him to be a person already on intelligence radar over suspected IS links and later found chemicals used to make bomb at his home, all of which solidified the suspicion that this could be an attempted terror attack that went awry.

A senior police officer privy to the investigation identified the deceased as A Jemisha Mubeen (28) from GM Nagar in Ukkadam, who was said to be an active member of an outfit that the Centre banned recently. An engineering graduate who was into old clothes business, he was picked up by the National

Investigation Agency in 2019 over alleged IS links, and has since remained on the radar.

The incident happened around 4.15 am near Kottai Eswaran temple in the commercial hub of Town Hall near Ukkadam in Coimbatore, when the car caught fire and exploded. ““Seeing a police check post, he slowed down the car to alight and escape, but the vehicle exploded before he could do that,” DGP C Sylendra Babu told the media in Coimbatore.

The investigation went into full gear after officials found nails and ball bearings. There were two LPG cylinders in the car, one of which exploded, though it was not using LPG as fuel. This led to suspicion that the cylinders were used as impact-multipliers.

Soon, the body was identified to be that of Mubeen. Police searched his house in Ukkadam. DGP Sylendra Babu said potassium chloride, aluminum nitrate, sulphur and chalk powder, which are used to make bombs, were seized from there.

Officials in Chennai told DT Next that Mubeen was an IS sympathiser and was a protégé of one Mohammed Azaruddin, who is now lodged in Kerala jail in connection with an IS case.

“There was no life loss as the incident happened in the early hours when there was hardly anyone on the otherwise busy street,” said an officer in Coimbatore, adding that the police suspected this to be part of a plan to hit during Deepavali celebrations, as a blast during the busy hours in the shopping hub could have led to a major disaster.

According to the police, Mubeen could have been angered by the raids on the PFI office and the subsequent ban on the outfit.

More than 200 police personnel were deployed in Coimbatore city to monitor vital installations and sensitive areas, while another 500 personnel from neighbouring districts, STF and commando force were also brought in. The police have also stepped up security at airports and other facilities across the State.

The 28-year-old from Ukkadam, who was driving the explosive-laden car with gas cylinders in it, was a radicalised IS man and is believed to have been planning to execute the explosion either at Konniyamman Temple or Kotta Eswaran Temple in Coimbatore, said sources.

A Jemisha Mubeen had tried to execute an explosion a few years ago, but the attempt was thwarted by Tamil Nadu police, said sources. He was an associate of Mohammed Azharuddin, now lodged in Kerala jail in connection with an IS case. The latter was a Facebook friend of Zahran Hashim, the alleged mastermind of 2019 Easter church bombing in Sri Lanka, said sources in a central security agency.

Clarifying that Mubeen was driving a petrol vehicle and not a gas-fueled car as reported initially, sources said he could have triggered the blast by mistake before reaching his planned destination. The gas cylinders were kept open in the car to increase the impact of the explosion.

A few years ago, Mubeen and Azharuddin had allegedly planned to attack Konniyamman Temple. The plan was to stage a terror strike similar to Easter bombings in Lanka in 2019 in which more than 250 people were killed.

“It looks like Mubeen was trying to do it again. It is not clear who all helped him in this mission. The Tamil Nadu police have a major task ahead of it to track down those linked to Mubeen and those who helped him in planning the terror attack,” an officer noted.

Meanwhile, addressing reporters in Coimbatore, DGP C Sylendra Babu said the special teams have seized Mubeen’s mobile phone and are going through his contact list.

“The car had changed several hands to the tenth person; all the previous owners were interrogated. Information has also been gathered on the person who supplied the gas cylinders,” the DGP said.

The DGP added that a case has been registered under section 174 of IPC and Explosives Substances Act.