Tamil Nadu DGP Shankar Jiwal lauds ATS on successful arrest of Coimbatore blast suspect after 29 years

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], July 11 (ANI): Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP) Shankar Jiwal on Friday addressed the media at the DGP office, announcing the arrest of, Tailor Raja, a suspect in the 1995 Coimbatore blast case after nearly 29 years of evading the law and highlighted that soon Tamil Nadu will be free of terrorism.
The press conference focused on the recent success of the Tamil Nadu Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), which was established in November 2023. DGP Jiwal said, "ATS was established in the State in November 2023. Now, 40 cases are being investigated by ATS."
DGP Jiwal further added, "In one operation along with Andhra Pradesh police, in another operation along with Karnataka Police and with the help of Central agencies, one accused (When review was done on pending cases, long time absconding accused we carried two operations for last few months) was arrested after 30 years, another accused after 26 years and another accused after 29 years."
The DGP praised the ATS for its commitment and successful results within a short period of its formation. He assured the public that in the coming days, Tamil Nadu would be free from terrorist activities, emphasising that the force is dedicated to maintaining peace and security across the state.
Earlier, Tailor Raja, a key accused in the 1998 Coimbatore bomb blast case and multiple communal murder cases, was remanded to judicial custody till July 24, according to an official on Thursday.
The Police were able to arrest the accused after he had remained on the run for nearly 29 years.
According to a release, acting on specific and credible intelligence, the accused was arrested by a special team from the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Coimbatore City Police in the Vijayapura district of Karnataka.
The arrested accused is involved in several terror cases and communal murder cases, including the 1998 Coimbatore bomb blasts that claimed 58 lives and injured 250 persons. He is also accused of the 1996 petrol bomb attack in Coimbatore, which resulted in the death of Jail Warden Boopalan; the 1996 Sayeetha murder case in Nagore; and the 1997 murder of Jailor Jayaprakash in Madurai.
In recent weeks, the Anti-Terrorism Squad, in coordination with the Coimbatore City Police, has arrested India's most wanted accused, Abubacker Siddique and Mohamed Ali alias Yunus, from Annamayya District in Andhra Pradesh. (ANI)