NIA files charge sheet in TN Raj Bhavan petrol bomb attack case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet against one person in the Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan petrol bomb attack case, officials said on Saturday.

In its report filed before a special court in Chennai on Friday, the agency invoked the stringent IPC section 124, which pertains to an attack on a President or a governor, besides other charges against Vinoth alias Karukka Vinoth, they said.

The accused allegedly hurled two petrol bombs in quick succession at the Raj Bhavan's gate number 1 in Chennai on October 25, 2023, which resulted in an explosion and damage to government property.

''This was the fourth such incident involving the accused. Previously, he had thrown petrol bombs at government establishments like the TASMAC (Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation) outlet in T Nagar and the Teynampet police station and also the BJP Tamil Nadu state head office in Chennai,'' an NIA spokesperson said in a statement.

The agency has alleged that Vinoth's motive was to overawe the constitutional authority of the state's governor.

''He had stolen petrol from a bike in SM Nagar, collected empty liquor bottles to fill them with petrol, walked up from Teynampet to Raj Bhavan, and hurled two petrol bombs at the Raj Bhavan gate at around 2.40 pm,'' the spokesperson said.

When police personnel rushed to restrain him, he allegedly threatened them and thus, deterred them from discharge of duty, she said.

''Based on a special report by the police personnel, a case was initially registered at the Guindy police station under sections 436, 353 and 506 (II) of the IPC, section 4 of the TNPPDL Act, 1992, and section 3 of the Explosive Substances Act, 1908. The case was re-registered by the NIA on 10th November 2023,'' the spokesperson said.

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