At least one person was killed, and 36 others were injured after multiple explosions rocked a convention center during a Jehovah’s Witnesses convention in Kerala’s Kalamassery on Sunday. The blasts occurred at the Zamra International Convention Centre, just 10 km away from the city center, while over 2,000 people were attending the prayer meeting.
Kerala’s police chief, Shaik Darvesh Saheb, confirmed that an improvised explosive device (IED) was used in the explosions. Preliminary investigations suggest that the IED may have been concealed inside a tiffin box. More details will be revealed as the investigation progresses. The authorities are conducting a thorough investigation to identify those responsible and take appropriate action.
The first blast occurred at approximately 9:40 am, only half an hour after the prayer meeting had started. Kerala’s Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, expressed deep concern about the incident, emphasizing its seriousness. He assured that all relevant officials were working diligently to gather information, and the Directorate General of Police (DGP) was en route to the scene.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses, a sect of Christianity known for its global practice of door-to-door evangelism, adhere to principles of non-violence and political neutrality. Their members abstain from voting and serving in the military. In India, a country with a population of 1.4 billion, there are approximately 60,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses, according to their adherents, in contrast to the 28 million Christians reported in the 2011 census.
Local media reported that there were three separate blasts during the prayer gathering, each targeting different areas of the convention hall. TA Sreekumar, the regional spokesperson for the Jehovah’s Witnesses, described the explosions as occurring seconds after the conclusion of a prayer. The first blast originated in the middle of the hall, followed by two more simultaneous explosions on either side.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses, founded in the United States in the 1870s, have often faced persecution worldwide, despite their pacifist beliefs. In Russia, the movement has been classified as an “extremist” group, resulting in the arrest of numerous followers in recent years.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also reached out to the Kerala Chief Minister to assess the situation. A team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Kochi has arrived at the scene, with another team from Delhi NIA expected shortly.
Furthermore, the police have issued warnings of strict action against individuals spreading fake news through social media platforms in the aftermath of the Kalamassery blast.