# The Kalamassery Convention Centre Blast, October 2023

> On the morning of Sunday, 29 October 2023, explosions tore through a prayer meeting of Jehovah's Witnesses at the Zamra International Convention & Exhibition Centre in Kalamassery. Eight people eventually died, including a 12-year-old girl, and more than 50 were injured. A local man surrendered to police within hours and was charged as the lone accused. This page sets out the facts, the investigation and the court process as of October 2026, without graphic detail.

- URL: https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/kalamassery-convention-centre-blast-2023/
- Publisher: Ashraf Gents Hostel, Ashraf house, NAD Rd, signal, Kalamassery, Aluva, Kerala 683563, India (+91 90746 23855)
- Published: 2026-10-08 · Updated: 2026-10-08
- Topic: History & archive
- Cite as: Ashraf Gents Hostel. “The Kalamassery Convention Centre Blast, October 2023.” Published 8 October 2026. https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/kalamassery-convention-centre-blast-2023/

## Key facts

- The explosions happened at about 9.40 am on 29 October 2023, the last day of a three-day regional convention of Jehovah's Witnesses attended by about 2,500 people at Zamra convention centre, Kalamassery (Wikipedia).
- Eight people died, five women, two men and a child; the last two deaths were on 2 and 7 December 2023, and more than 50 people were injured (Wikipedia; The News Minute).
- Dominic Martin, a Kochi resident, surrendered to police in Thrissur district a few hours after the blasts and was arrested as the lone accused (Onmanorama).
- Police filed a 3,578-page charge sheet at the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court on 23 April 2024, listing 294 witnesses (Onmanorama).
- By October 2024 the UAPA charges had been withdrawn because prosecution sanction was not granted; the case proceeds on murder and Explosive Substances Act charges (The News Minute, 28 October 2024).

## What happened

Jehovah's Witnesses were holding their annual regional convention at the **Zamra International Convention & Exhibition Centre**, a large venue about 1 km south of the NAD Road signal on OpenStreetMap (see our [guide to the Zamra centre](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/zamra-convention-centre-kalamassery/)). 29 October 2023 was the third and final day. About 2,500 people were in the hall for the Sunday morning session when, at about 9.40 am, a series of improvised explosive devices went off, according to Wikipedia. The state police chief, Shaik Darvesh Saheb, confirmed that an IED had been used.

The injured were taken to hospitals in and around Kochi; Wikipedia records that 17 were admitted, 12 of them to intensive care. Two people died that day. Others died in hospital over the following weeks, among them several members of one family; the last two deaths were recorded on **2 and 7 December 2023**. In all, eight people died: five women, two men and a 12-year-old girl. More than 50 were injured, a number of them with serious burns. The victims' names were widely published at the time; we do not repeat the list here.

## Timeline

| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 29 October 2023, about 9.40 am | Explosions at the Jehovah's Witnesses convention, Zamra centre, Kalamassery | Wikipedia |
| 29 October 2023 | Dominic Martin surrenders to police in Thrissur district; a Kerala Police special investigation team is formed | Onmanorama; The Week |
| 30 October 2023 | Arrest recorded under UAPA, the Explosive Substances Act and murder charges | Onmanorama |
| 2 and 7 December 2023 | Seventh and eighth deaths in hospital | Wikipedia |
| December 2023 | Kerala High Court directs that the convention centre be handed back to its managing director | LiveLaw |
| 23 April 2024 | 3,578-page charge sheet filed at the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court; Martin is the lone accused | Onmanorama |
| October 2024 | UAPA charges withdrawn after sanction is not granted; trial to proceed at the Sessions Court | The News Minute |

## The accused and the investigation

Within hours, **Dominic Martin**, a resident of Thammanam in Kochi, surrendered at Kodakara police station in Thrissur district and said he was responsible. Before surrendering he had posted a video on Facebook. On 30 October police recorded his arrest under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Explosive Substances Act and charges of murder, Onmanorama reported. A special investigation team of the Kerala Police, headed by ADGP Ajith Kumar, took up the case; reports gave its size as 20 or 21 members.

In the first hours, before the surrender, there was speculation on social media about who was behind the blasts, and false claims linking them to unrelated conflicts circulated. The state was put on high alert and police were deployed at crowded places. Wikipedia's article also states that the National Investigation Agency later took over the probe; however, the charge sheet described below was filed by Kerala Police, and we found no report of a separate NIA charge sheet.

## The charge sheet and the trial

On **23 April 2024** the investigating officer, a Kochi city deputy police commissioner, submitted a 3,578-page charge sheet to the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court. It named Martin as the lone accused and listed 294 witnesses, 137 material objects and 236 documents. According to Onmanorama, police concluded that his aim was to draw attention to the Jehovah's Witnesses and have the group banned.

On **28 October 2024**, the eve of the first anniversary, The News Minute reported that the UAPA charges had been withdrawn. The investigating officer, K. S. Sudharsan, said prosecution sanction under UAPA had not been granted, so the case would proceed on murder and Explosive Substances Act charges at the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court. As of October 2026 we found no report of a verdict.

> Until a court rules, the accused is presumed innocent. This page reports the prosecution's case as filed, not a finding.

## The venue and the community

The convention centre was sealed for the investigation. In December 2023 the Kerala High Court directed that it be handed back to its managing director, LiveLaw reported, and it has since hosted trade expos and conferences again, including Water Expo Kochi in September 2025. For background on the area's hospitals, see the [Government Medical College history](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/govt-medical-college-ernakulam-history/). For the wider year, see [Kalamassery in 2023](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/kalamassery-in-2023/), which also includes the [CUSAT stampede](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/cusat-stampede-november-2023/) a month later.

## Frequently asked questions

**When did the Kalamassery blast happen?**

At about 9.40 am on Sunday, 29 October 2023, during a Jehovah's Witnesses regional convention at the Zamra International Convention & Exhibition Centre.

**How many people died?**

Eight people died, five women, two men and a 12-year-old girl, and more than 50 were injured.

**Who was charged?**

Dominic Martin, who surrendered to police on the day, was named the lone accused in a charge sheet filed on 23 April 2024.

**Is UAPA still applied in the case?**

No. The News Minute reported in October 2024 that UAPA charges were withdrawn because sanction was not granted; the case continues on murder and explosives charges.

**Is the convention centre open again?**

Yes. The High Court directed in December 2023 that it be handed back to its managing director, and it has since hosted events.

## Sources

- [Wikipedia: 2023 Kerala bombing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Kerala_bombing)
- [Onmanorama: Kalamassery blasts: Dominic Martin arrested under UAPA, Explosive Substances Act (30 October 2023)](https://onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2023/10/30/kalamassery-blasts-police-register-arrest-dominic-martin-under-uapa-other-sections.html)
- [Onmanorama: Police file charge-sheet in Kalamassery blast case; Dominic Martin lone accused (23 April 2024)](https://onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2024/04/23/police-file-charge-sheet-kalamassery-blast-case-dominic-martin-lone-accused.html)
- [The News Minute: Kalamassery blast: govt withdraws UAPA against lone accused (28 October 2024)](https://www.thenewsminute.com/amp/story/kerala/kalamassery-blast-govt-withdraws-uapa-against-lone-accused-dominic-martin)
- [The Week: Kerala blasts: suspect surrenders, what we know so far (29 October 2023)](https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2023/10/29/kerala-blasts-two-women-dead-suspect-surrenders-what-we-know-so-far.amp.html)
- [Neventum: Water Expo Kochi](https://www.neventum.com/tradeshows/water-expo-kochi)
- [LiveLaw: Kerala High Court on handover of Zamra convention centre](https://www.livelaw.in/amp/high-court/kerala-high-court/kerala-high-court-kalamassery-bomb-blastszamra-convention-centre-handover-managing-director-245132)

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