Man who claims to be from Jehovah's Witnesses surrenders, takes responsibility for Kochi blasts
Kochi (PTI): One man, claiming to be a member of Jehovah's Witnesses, surrendered before police in Thrissur district of the state, claiming responsibility for the multiple blasts at the Christian religious gathering at Kalamassery here on Sunday morning, police said.
One woman died and over 45 people were injured, some seriously, in the blasts, ADGP Law and Order M R Ajith Kumar told reporters here.
The officer said that the man surrendered at Kodakara police station in the morning, claiming he was the one who set off the blasts.
"The man's name is Dominic Martin. He also gave evidence supporting his claim. We are examining it presently. We are also examining his claims and the reasons given for carrying out the act," the ADGP said.
He also said that the man also claims to be a follower of the Jehovah's Witnesses Christian religious group.
The group originated in the United States of America in the 19th century.
When asked by reporters whether the incident was an outcome of intelligence failure on the part of the police, the ADGP said that all branches of the force were functioning effectively.
Earlier, State Police Chief Shaik Darvesh Saheb told media in Thiruvananthapuram that according to the preliminary probe the blasts occurred due to IED.
"We are examining it," he said.
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Rupee falls 32 paise to all-time low of 95.20 against US dollar
Mumbai, Apr 30 (PTI): The rupee depreciated 32 paise to an all-time low of 95.20 against the US dollar in early trade on Thursday, weighed down by elevated Brent crude oil prices, hovering around USD 122 per barrel, and strong American currency.
Forex traders said the USD/INR pair may see further downside, as rising crude oil prices are likely to sharply impact India's import costs, while concerns over potential wider conflict in West Asia are fuelling investor anxiety.
Meanwhile, the US dollar added to gains after the US FED Reserve kept rates unchanged. Safe-haven demand was also boosted by another diplomatic setback between Washington and Tehran.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 95.01 against the US dollar, then lost some ground and touched an all-time low of 95.20 against the US dollar in initial trade, registering a fall of 32 paise over its previous close.
On Wednesday, the rupee depreciated 20 paise to close at an all-time low of 94.88 against the US dollar.
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"The main effect on the rupee has been from the rising oil prices, which touched USD 120 per barrel and looked headed for further upside as the US continues with its blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran does not allow any ship/tanker to pass through the Strait of Hormuz," said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.01 per cent higher at 98.96.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 3.16 per cent at USD 121.76 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, Sensex tumbled 821.79 points to 76,674.57 in early trade, while the Nifty dived 287.3 points to 23,890.35.
Foreign Institutional Investors offloaded equities worth Rs 2,468.42 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.
"FPIs continue with their sale of Indian Equities and debt (the yield touched 7 per cent on Wednesday) and are also dollar buyers consistently," Bhansali added.
