While two workers of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) were arrested on Sunday for the attacks reported on a house and a car of BJP and Hindu Munnani functionaries in Coimbatore on September 23, the police were making progress in other cases, said Coimbatore City Police Commissioner V. Balakrishnan.
S. Jesuraj (35) of Arivoli Nagar near Madukkarai and A. Iliyas (38) of Thiruvalluvar Nagar were arrested on Sunday for two attacks reported at Kuniyamuthur on September 23.
Jesuraj was arrested for setting fire to a car belonging to Hindu Munnani functionary Raghu at Kuniyamuthur after pouring an inflammable substance on September 23. Iliyas was arrested on charges of hurling a Molotov cocktail at the house of BJP functionary Bharat at Kuniyamuthur on September 23, the police said.
They were arrested for offences under Sections 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage to amount of one hundred or (in case of agricultural produce) ten rupees) and 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent destroy house, etc.) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 3 (punishment for causing explosion likely to endanger life or property) of the Explosive Substances Act, 1908.
The police zeroed in on the accused based on visuals from surveillance cameras, technical investigation and through other leads.
According to Mr. Balakrishnan, who addressed the media on Sunday, the police were making progress in connection with the investigation into four other attacks reported in the city including the one on the BJP office on September 22 night. The police were also investigating attacks reported on two TNSTC buses on September 22.
