Kochi: Police probing a possible terror link in the arson near a synagogue in Ernakulam Market are examining electronic devices seized from the accused, Kochi City Police Commissioner Arun K Pavithran said on Friday.
Police had arrested Ebin Paul (32), a native of Puthencruz near here, for allegedly setting fire to Blossom Nursery, located in front of the Kadavubhagam synagogue in Ernakulam Market, within the limits of Kochi Central police station, in the early hours of October 12.
Police are investigating whether he carried out attacks on designated targets at the direction of an unidentified person, recorded the incidents and sent the footage in return for payment.
Messages recovered from his phone reportedly referred to Jewish places of worship and attacks in different cities across India.
Investigators are trying to establish the identities of those involved in the communications, their links with the accused and whether the arson was part of an organised operation.`
A court here remanded Paul to five days of police custody on Thursday, and he is being interrogated by the investigation team.
Speaking to reporters, Pavithran said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to probe the incident.
“The electronic devices of the accused are being examined. Further investigation will proceed based on the findings,” he said.
He said the investigation was in its initial stages.
“He is cooperating with the investigation, and we have no other roadblocks in the probe,” Pavithran said.
Police sources said the investigation team was attempting to retrieve chats between Paul and a suspected handler through the Telegram app.
Police would write to Telegram seeking the chat details, the sources said.
Paul appeared to have been in contact with a person who had been directing him for the past several months, the sources said.
When the magistrate court considered the police custody application on Thursday, Paul’s counsel claimed that he was taking medication for a mental health condition.
Police sources, however, said Paul was fully cooperating with the investigation and that further medical tests will be conducted later, with the court’s permission.
Police also recovered substances, including heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, alprazolam and ketamine, from Paul’s residence.
The substances are suspected to have been ordered online.
Puthencruz police, which registered a separate case in connection with the drug seizure, will approach the court seeking his custody for detailed interrogation in that case, officials said.
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