New Delhi, 20th January 2024: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday ( January 19) charge-sheeted one person in the Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan Petrol bomb case.

The Chargesheet was filed before NIA Special Court at Poonamallee, Chennai, u/s 124, 379, 436, 353 and 506 Part-II of IPC and Section 3, 4 and 5 of Explosive Substances Act 1908, along with Section 4 of Tamil Nadu Property (Prevention of Damages and Loss) Act 1992.

The charge-sheeted accused, Vinoth @ Karukka Vinoth, had hurled two petrol bombs in quick succession at the Raj Bhavan Gate – 1 in Chennai on 25th October 2023 in the case RC-03/2023/NIA/CHE. The bomb had resulted in explosion and damages to the Government property located at the gate.

This was the fourth such incident involving the accused. Previously, he had thrown Petrol bombs at Government establishments like TASMAC (Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation) outlet in T. Nagar, the Teynampet Police Station and the BJP Tamil Nadu State Head Office, Chennai.

In the instant case, the accused, intending to overawe the constitutional authority of the State Governor, had stolen Petrol from a bike in SM Nagar, collected empty liquor bottles to fill them with petrol, walked up from Teynampet to Raj Bhawan, and had hurled two Petrol bombs at the Raj Bhavan gate at around 2.40 pm.

The on-duty police personnel had immediately rushed towards the accused person to restrain him, but the latter had threatened them and thus deterred them from discharge of duty.

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