2023 Kerala bombing

On the morning of 29 October 2023, the final day of a three-day Jehovah's Witnesses regional convention, a series of improvised explosive device (IED) blasts occurred at the Zamra International Convention & Exhibition Centre in Kalamassery, a suburb of Kochi in Kerala, India. About 2,500 people had gathered for the event when the blasts occurred at approximately 9:40 AM, followed by fire in the building. Witnesses described multiple explosions, smoke filling the hall, and panicked attendees rushing outside, with some injured in the resulting stampede.

Eight people died as a result of the explosions, as of 7 December 2023. The victims included five women, two men, and a child. The first fatality was Leona Paulos, 55, found charred at the blast site. Kumari Pushpan of Thodupuzha died in hospital hours later. Twelve-year-old Libna, who suffered burns over 95% of her body, died the following day. Molly Joy, 61, and Reena "Sally" Pradeepan, 45 — Libna's mother — died about a week later while in intensive care. Praveen Pradeepan, Libna's older brother and Reena's son, was also among the deceased, meaning three victims belonged to one family. K.V. John, 78, died on 2 December 2023, and his wife, Lilly John, 71, a retired bank employee, died on 7 December 2023. More than fifty other people suffered burn injuries, with 17 hospitalized and 12 in intensive care with burns covering 50-60% of their bodies.

A man named Dominic Martin, 57, a resident of Thammanam who described himself as a renegade former member of Jehovah's Witnesses, surrendered at the Kodakara police station and confessed to being responsible for the blasts. Before surrendering, he had posted a video on Facebook expressing resentment toward the group's doctrines, which he characterized as "anti-national." He told police he had planned the attack while working in Dubai, using petrol and high-impact firecrackers assembled with electronic components purchased under the pretext of building remote-control toys. Police recovered four remote-control devices from his scooter, which he had parked at the police station before surrendering.

Investigators initially considered the possibility of Islamist terrorist involvement linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and false claims connecting the bombing to the Gaza war circulated on social media; these were not substantiated. The National Investigation Agency took over the probe, and Kerala authorities placed the state on high alert, deploying additional security and checks at entry and exit points. The National Security Guard sent a bomb disposal unit from New Delhi to assist at the blast site. A chargesheet was filed in April 2024. In early 2025, investigators reported uncovering possible foreign connections involving the accused's contacts and time in Dubai, and Kerala Police sought Interpol assistance to further the investigation, pending central government clearance to engage with authorities in the United Arab Emirates. As of the available reporting, the motive and any external involvement remain under investigation.