Two Women Killed in Low-Intensity Blasts at Jehovah's Witness Prayer Meeting in Kerala, India

At least two low-intensity explosions occurred at a prayer meeting of the Christian sect Jehova's Witnesses in Kalamassery, Kerala, on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of two ladies and the injuries of 51 others, six of whom were gravely.

A few hours later, Dominic Martin, a guy, turned himself in to the authorities and said that the Jehova's Witnesses were responsible for the explosions because they were engaged in "anti-national" activities.

At a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that anybody conducting hate campaigns in relation to the explosions will face severe consequences.

The explosive devices detonated quickly one after the other at around 9.40 a.m. on the last day of a three-day regional Jehovah's Witness conference held at the Zamra International conference Centre in Kalamassery, just minutes after over 2,000 followers had started their prayers.

Martin allegedly went live on Facebook to take credit for the explosives before turning himself in.

"Martin is my name. At a Jehovah's Witnesses gathering, there was a bomb explosion with deadly repercussions. I accept whole responsibility for it. In a video broadcast by Malayalam networks, a bespectacled guy wearing a blue shirt is heard saying, "I am behind that bomb blast."

Before cutting his connections with the religion, the individual allegedly claimed to have belonged to it for sixteen years.

"I am making this film to help you understand why I set up the explosive device. I realized this is the incorrect sort of organization that engages in anti-national actions around six years ago. I told them over and again to fix it. It seems that the guy is saying in Malayalam, "But none of them was ready to do that."

It seems that once the video became viral, Martin's Facebook profile was disabled.

The guy in the blue shirt claims in the film that Jehovah's Witnesses have been "injecting poison" into both elders and youngsters, instilling in them a hatred for the country and its citizens.

All I can do is respond to this false worldview. The guy allegedly states, "I had to make this choice because this philosophy poses a danger to the country.

Political parties will not step in because religion scares them all. You must become aware that since you have no control over those who propagate incorrect ideologies, common people like me are compelled to offer our lives.

He ends by declaring that he will turn himself in to the police.

About 45 kilometers from Kalamassery, an industrial area in the Ernakulam region, Martin turned himself in at the Kodakara police station in the Thrissur district.

Investigators examined his residence in Thammanam, Ernakulam, around 12 km away from Kalamassery, when he was being questioned by the police.

Martin's surrender was verified by additional director-general of police M.R. Ajith Kumar, who withheld information citing Martin's interrogation.

Reporters were informed by Sreekumar, a Jehovah's Witness PRO in the Ernakulam region, that while he was no longer actively associated with the faith, he had known the individual in question for around five years.

Within minutes after the explosions, police and rescue personnel were at the scene, bringing wounded people to the Government Medical College, which was located little over a kilometer away.

Six of the 51 injured—six of whom had burns—were considered very ill, according to state health minister Veena George, who oversaw the patients' care at the government medical college and three private hospitals. A 12-year-old kid was one of them and was on a ventilator.

53-year-old woman was one of the deceased, having passed away from her wounds in the evening. The other is burned and has not yet been recognized.

Mobile phone videos captured by people inside the hall showed chairs burning in two locations just a few meters apart.

A 20-person investigative team has been assembled, according to Vijayan. "More clarity will be provided at the all-party meeting that we have scheduled for tomorrow, Monday," he said.

The police used the anti-terror Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Explosive Substances Act in a filed complaint filed before Martin entered the picture.

Martin's wife admitted to the police that he had left the house on Sunday at first light, but she was unaware of his purported plot to detonate bombs.

According to the police, they may have utilized a set of tools and wires that they found in Martin's house to put together the explosive devices. Martin is thought to have created the explosives using widely accessible Internet knowledge.

To be sure he had acted alone, the detectives are also double-checking every detail of his "confession."