NIA: Coimbatore dentist held in 2016 Malappuram arms case is a terrorist

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has said that Dr Dinesh D, a Coimbatore-based dentist, is a hard-core terrorist who underwent training in sophisticated weapons, including automatic rifles, to further the activities of the banned terrorist organisation CPI (Maoist) as part of a larger conspiracy to wage war against the nation.

- P RAMDAS @ Kochi

The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) had arrested him in 2021 from a clinic at Edayarpalayam, Coimbatore, where he was working as a dentist.

The NIA stated that Dr Dinesh, the fourth accused, and the other accused persons had voluntarily convened a meeting and training camp in September 2016 in the reserve forest of Karulai in Malappuram district.

During the camp, they handled arms, including automatic rifles, the central agency said while opposing the accused's bail plea before the Special Court for NIA cases in Kochi.

Considering the gravity of the offence, the court recently dismissed the bail plea.

Challenging the decision, the accused has approached the Kerala High Court, where the matter is pending consideration.