Kannur house explosion: Police identify victim, Crime Branch to probe case

Kannur: Muhammad Asham, a native of Chalad, was killed in an explosion at a house in Kannappuram on Saturday, police confirmed. Addressing the media, Kannur City Police Commissioner Nidhin Raj P said that Asham is a relative of Anoop Malik, who is currently in police custody. Govindan, a retired schoolteacher, had rented out the house to Anoop in April.

The commissioner confirmed that Asham had been staying in the house since April this year. Earlier, police had booked Anoop in a case related to a bomb blast.

“Mainly explosive substances used for making firecrackers, such as gundu, were recovered. Search operations are still underway. We cannot assess what caused the explosion until the searches and scientific examinations are concluded,” he said.

The official added that no permission had been obtained from the local body to operate a firecracker unit at the house. He noted that a huge quantity of explosive substances was found under the debris. It is learnt that the presence of explosives poses a threat to the ongoing search operations. Officials added that they are yet to confirm whether more people are trapped under the rubble.

A case has been registered under the Explosive Substances Act. The District Crime Branch has formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the case.

Meanwhile, the victim’s body has been taken to the Government Medical College Hospital in Pariyaram. The incident has also triggered a political row in the district, with the Congress leadership accusing the CPM of operating bomb-making units in remote villages.