KOCHI: The statement of Dominic Martin, accused in the Kalamassery blast case, is out. The accused testified that his mother-in-law was also present in the prayer hall of the Zamra Convention Center and the bomb was planted after avoiding the place where she was sitting.

The bomb was placed under the chair, not in a tiffin box but in a plastic bag. The accused told the investigating officers that he kept petrol with it to increase the depth of the explosion. He had called a friend after the blast. The accused had financial dealings with this friend. He will also be summoned for questioning.

The accused was a foreman. The investigation team concluded that he is an expert in technical matters. Meantime, in the wake of the incident, an all-party meeting called by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is going on.

There was an explosion at the Zamra Convention Center in Kalamassery Sunday morning. The three bombs planted exploded and fire spread within seconds inside the Jehovah's Witnesses Convention Hall. Three people were killed. Many are under treatment and four of them are in a critical condition.