Accused in Keralam synagogue arson case slapped with UAPA, larger conspiracy suspected: police

Police allege that Ebin Paul carried out an arson attack near the Kadavumbhagam Synagogue in Ernakulam. The targeted site is an 800-year-old religious location, which made the case especially sensitive. Paul was arrested after a fire was allegedly started at a plant nursery in front of the synagogue.

The incident happened around 2.40 a.m. on October 12, 2026. Kochi City police charged Paul under Sections 15 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Section 15 concerns offences relating to a terrorist act, while Section 18 concerns conspiracy.

Police say the case may involve more than one person. Investigators found videos showing Paul allegedly recceing the location and practising the crime. They also say he received some cryptocurrency payments. Police suspect that others gave him instructions and that a larger conspiracy may exist.

A synagogue is a place where Jewish people worship, study religious teachings, and gather as a community. It can also preserve objects, traditions, and memories connected with Jewish life. Synagogues therefore have religious, cultural, and historical importance beyond their physical buildings.

The Kadavumbhagam Synagogue is historically significant because the article describes it as 800 years old. That age places it among the region’s long-standing religious sites. The alleged attack focused on premises connected with this historic synagogue, although the fire was reportedly set at a plant nursery in front of it.

The site’s age helps explain why police called the location sensitive when invoking the anti-terror law. The article does not provide further details about the synagogue’s architecture, community, founding, or heritage status. It does say that the location’s sensitivity influenced the legal response.

The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, or UAPA, is an Indian law used to address unlawful activities and terrorism-related offences. It gives investigators and courts a legal framework for dealing with conduct considered a serious threat to national security or public safety. The article identifies it as an anti-terror law.

Police charged Ebin Paul under Section 15 and Section 18. Section 15 deals with offences relating to a terrorist act. Section 18 deals with conspiracy. These provisions allow the case to examine both the alleged act itself and any planning or agreement behind it, according to the charges described in the article.

Kochi City police said they invoked the law because of the sensitive nature of the targeted location. The article does not describe the full legal test for either section or predict the case’s outcome. The charges remain allegations, while investigators continue examining possible accomplices and instructions.

Police say the alleged arson pattern extends beyond the fire near the Kadavumbhagam Synagogue. District Police Chief Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar stated that Paul was involved in three arson incidents in Ernakulam district. Investigators also found that he had targeted locations outside the district.

The article gives one specific incident in detail. Paul was arrested after allegedly setting fire to a plant nursery in front of the synagogue at about 2.40 a.m. on October 12, 2026. Police say videos showed him recceing the location and practising the crime, suggesting preparation for at least that attack.

The exact number of additional locations is not stated. Therefore, the confirmed figure from the article is three alleged arson incidents in Ernakulam, plus unspecified targets outside the district. Police are seeking a broader understanding of the pattern and suspect that other people may have been involved.

Police suspect that Ebin Paul did not act alone. District Police Chief Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar said investigators believed other people gave Paul instructions. This suspicion shifted the case from a single alleged fire toward a possible organised conspiracy.

Investigators say Paul received some payments in cryptocurrency. They also recovered videos showing him allegedly recceing the location and practising the crime. Together, these details point to communication, payment, surveillance, and preparation surrounding the alleged attack. The police have not publicly identified the suspected instructors or explained the full payment trail.

A larger conspiracy remains suspected, rather than established in the article. Police said more people may have been involved and that they were examining Paul’s alleged role in three arson incidents in Ernakulam, along with targets outside the district. The State ATS and central agencies have been involved from the beginning.

The investigation is currently being handled by Kochi City police, with the State Anti-Terror Squad and central investigation agencies involved since the beginning. Police said they would propose an investigation by Kerala’s State ATS. This would bring the state’s specialist anti-terror team into a formal investigative role, as described by the police.

The National Investigation Agency might take over the probe if required. A takeover would move responsibility to a central agency rather than leaving the investigation solely with state police. The article links these possible changes to the suspected larger conspiracy and the sensitive location involved.

Neither development is presented as completed. The police only said they would propose an ATS investigation and that the NIA might take over if necessary. The next step depends on decisions by the relevant authorities. Investigators are still examining suspected accomplices, cryptocurrency payments, videos, and other alleged arson incidents.

Arson means deliberately setting fire to property. It can damage buildings, threaten lives, disrupt public activity, and frighten a community. The seriousness depends on factors such as the target, the planning, the danger created, and the suspected purpose. Accidental fires are different because they lack deliberate ignition.

A deliberate fire at a religious or public location may receive terrorism-related attention if investigators believe it was meant to intimidate people, spread fear, or threaten public security. In this case, police invoked UAPA Sections 15 and 18 because of the sensitive nature of the targeted location. Section 15 concerns a terrorist act, while Section 18 concerns conspiracy.

The charge does not by itself prove the allegation. Police say videos showed reconnaissance and practice, cryptocurrency payments were received, and others may have issued instructions. Those facts led investigators to suspect a larger conspiracy. The legal process will determine whether the allegations are established.