Man arrives by car, sets portion of horticulture nursery on fire near Ernakulam synagogue; mysterious 'boss' link emerges

KOCHI: Ernakulam Central Police have launched a detailed investigation into the background of a man arrested for allegedly setting fire to a portion of a horticulture nursery located close to Kadavumbhagam Synagogue located in Ernakulam Market area.The arrested person is Ebin Paul, 32, of Puthencruz. The case pertains to the incident which occurred around 2.30am on Monday. Police sources said that the accused poured petrol over the banners and flex boards of the horticulture nursery maintained by one of the office-bearers of the synagogue’s management and set them on fire.The police said that the accused arrived by car, moved the vehicle away, and, while heading towards the synagogue, emptied all the petrol from the can he was carrying into the nursery. The police tracked him down by tracing the number of the car in which he arrived.Sources said that the police as well as various central agencies have questioned the accused considering the sensitive nature of the synagogue in the backdrop of the Middle East crisis.According to sources, the police have received information regarding a man identified as Boss who was in constant touch with the accused. When asked if extremist links were suspected, a senior officer said that all angles would be probed.The case was registered under BNS Section 326 (g) for mischief by fire intending to cause or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby cause, the destruction of any building which is ordinarily used as a place of worship or as a human dwelling or as a place for the custody of property.Meanwhile, Puthencruz Police seized a cache of drugs from the house of the accused. Seized drugs included white heroin (3.613g), brown heroin (2.736g), oxycodone (2.361g), fentanyl (5g), alprazolam (20.171g), ketamine (50.883g) and K rock (20.675g).You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Kochi | Silver Rate in Kochi | Bank Holidays in Kochi | Public Holidays in KochiStay updated with the latest Kochi news. Download the TOI App.