Coimbatore serial blast mastermind buried amid tight security

NTK chief coordinator Seeman, Manapparai MLA P. Abdul Samad, president of Kongu Ilaignar Peravai U. Thaniyarasu, VCK leader Vanni Arasu, leaders of SDPI and Muslim organisations paid respects to the deceased.

Coimbatore came under a thick security blanket on Tuesday in view of the funeral procession of S.A. Basha, 84, the mastermind of the 1998 serial bombings, who died on Monday.

A total of 1,500 police personnel from Coimbatore city, two companies of the 105 Rapid Action Force, three companies of the Tamil Nadu Special Police IV Battalion and 15 senior police officers, who had earlier served in Coimbatore, were part of the bandobust.

Coimbatore City Police Commissioner V. Balakrishnan, Tiruppur City Police Commissioner S. Lakshmi, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Salem Range) E.S. Uma and other senior officers supervised the security arrangements.

Naam Tamilar Katchi chief coordinator Seeman, Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary and Manapparai MLA P. Abdul Samad, former MLA and president of Kongu Ilaignar Peravai U. Thaniyarasu, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi deputy general secretary Vanni Arasu, leaders of Social Democratic Party of India and Muslim organisations paid respects to the deceased at his residence at Rose Garden, South Ukkadam.

The funeral procession carrying Basha’s body left his residence around 3.20 p.m. for Hyder Ali Tippu Sultan Sunnath Jamaath Masjid at Flower Market, where the last rites were held.

Basha, a life term convict in the serial blasts that claimed 58 lives and left over 200 injured, died on Monday while undergoing treatment on parole in a private hospital in Coimbatore.

‘Black day’ observed

Earlier in the day, BJP and various right wing organisations petitioned the City Police Commissioner, demanding the police to deny permission for a 5 km-long procession through the city for the funeral of Basha, who founded the banned outfit Al Ummah. BJP district president J. Ramesh Kumar told media persons that his party and allied organisations will observe December 20 (Friday) as a ‘black day’ to condemn the police, accusing them of granting permission for a huge procession that could lead to law and order issues. 

Published - December 17, 2024 08:22 pm IST