Hours after a series of blasts shook a convention centre in Kalamassery in Kochi, a man surrendered before Thrissur's Kodakara police station, claiming responsibility for the attack, according to local TV reports.
The man, identified as Dominic Martin, claimed that he had set the bomb at the Zamra convention centre where a prayer meeting by Jehovah's Witnesses, a Christian group, was being held on Sunday morning, reported Manorama News. The police have taken the man into custody for detailed questioning.
Martin, who claimed he is a member of Jehovah's Witnesses, allegedly told police that he sought reforms in the activites of the Christian group and that the bombs were detonated as his demands were not heeded.
However, Jehovah's Witnesses public relations office said they do not know Martin and that he was not invited to the convention centre meeting, reported Manorama News.
Meanwhile, another man was briefly detained at Kannur railway station after police recovered suspicious items in his bag, as per local reports. He was freed after detailed examination.
Kerala DGP Shaik Darvesh Saheb, meanwhile, warned people against spreading unconfirmed and fake news on social media. Police have confirmed that the blasts were caused by IED devices placed inside tiffin boxes.
Antony Raju, state transport minister, who arrived at the spot, said that three days of CCTV footage were gathered from the convention centre. He also warned against spreading rumours via social media.
One woman was killed and around 52 people, including children, were injured in the attack, according to Manorama News. At least 18 people were admitted to ICU across various hospitals. NIA and NSG teams arrived at the spot to investigate the case after Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.