US Edition29 Years On: Key Accused in 1998 Coimbatore Blast Finally Captured
COIMBATORE, TAMIL NADU, INDIA, JUL 10 – Tailor Raja, wanted for 29 years in multiple terror and communal murder cases, was arrested from Karnataka by Tamil Nadu police as part of ongoing anti-terror efforts, officials said.
- On July 9, 2025, Sadiq Raja, also known as Tailor Raja, was captured in Vijayapura, Karnataka, by a special unit formed by Tamil Nadu’s Anti-Terrorism Squad and Coimbatore City Police.
- Sadiq evaded arrest for 29 years after his involvement in terror cases including the 1996 petrol bomb attack and 1998 Coimbatore serial bombings that killed 58 and injured over 250.
- He maintained a low profile by adopting false identities while relocating between Tamil Nadu, Bengaluru, Hubballi, and Vijayapura, earning a living selling vegetables and marrying a local woman to help conceal his identity.
- Police identified him based on questioning and information obtained from other suspects, and his arrest was carried out by a combined ATS-Coimbatore police unit acting on specific and reliable intelligence.
- Sadiq’s capture represents a significant breakthrough for law enforcement in addressing unresolved terror investigations, and officials expect that his questioning could lead to information about other fugitives and inactive terror groups in South India.
18 Articles
18 Articles
1996 Coimbatore bomb blast: Prime accused Sadiq Raja arrested in Karnataka after 29 years on run
In a significant breakthrough, Coimbatore police have arrested Sadiq Raja, the prime accused in the 1996 Coimbatore bomb blast case, after nearly three decades of evading arrest. He was apprehended from Vijayapura in Karnataka, where he had been living under a false identity. Sadiq Raja, a native of Gundlupet in Chamarajanagar district, had been absconding since the 1996 blast. According to police sources, he frequently moved across states—first…
Police arrests key accused in 1998 Coimbatore bomb blast case
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Police’s Anti Terrorism Squad on Thursday said it has arrested Sadiq, a key accused in the 1998 Coimbatore bomb blast case, in which 58 people were killed and 250 others were injured. Also, a key accused in communal murder cases across Tamil Nadu, he has been absconding for 29 years and never been arrested since 1996. Acting on “specific and credible intelligence,” a special team of Anti-Terrorism Squad and Coimbatore City Po…
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NewsDrumTN police arrests Sadiq, key accused in bomb blast case, absconding for 29 years
Chennai, Jul 10 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Police’s Anti Terrorism Squad on Thursday said it has arrested Sadiq, a key accused in the 1998 Coimbatore bomb blast case, in which 58 people were killed and 250 others were injured. Also, a key accused in communal murder cases across Tamil Nadu, he has been absconding for 29 […]
Tamil Nadu: 1998 Coimbatore Blast Accused Tailor Raja Sent to Judicial Custody Till July 24
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The accused is a native of Coimbatore and has been absconding for the past 29 years and has never been arrested since 1996, they said. India News | Tamil Nadu: 1998 Coimbatore Blast Accused Tailor Raja Sent to Judicial Custody Till July 24.
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