Two civil police officers have been suspended after a security lapse linked to an arson incident outside Kochi’s historic Kadavumbhagam Synagogue, while the city police are re-examining a separate fire at Fort Kochi’s Koder House following the arrest of a suspect in the synagogue case, according to a report by the Times of India.
The incident took place on Market Road in Ernakulam, where banners and flex boards belonging to a horticulture nursery maintained by the synagogue’s managing trustee were allegedly set on fire at around 2.30am on Monday. The synagogue had been under round-the-clock police protection following the escalation of the conflict in West Asia.
The suspension of the two civil police officers represents disciplinary action over the failure in security arrangements at a site considered sensitive because of its religious and heritage significance. The report did not identify the officers or provide details of the specific duty lapse that led to the action.
Kochi City Police have also intensified their investigation into the September 29 fire at Koder House in Fort Kochi. The heritage building suffered extensive damage in that incident. Police said questioning of Eldho Paul, 32, a resident of Puthencruz, had not established a direct link between the synagogue incident and the Koder House fire.
Paul was arrested in connection with the alleged arson outside the synagogue. His mobile phone and other digital devices have been sent for forensic examination. Police are expected to seek his custody for further interrogation, according to the report.
The National Investigation Agency and the Intelligence Bureau have begun preliminary inquiries into the synagogue case. Their involvement adds a wider security dimension to an incident that initially involved damage to material outside the religious site, although the report does not state that either agency has reached a conclusion about the motive or any broader connection.
For Koder House, a short circuit remains the suspected cause of the September 29 fire, pending forensic findings. Police are re-examining that case after Paul’s arrest, but authorities have not established that the two incidents were connected. The distinction is significant for the protection of Fort Kochi’s heritage buildings, where fire prevention, electrical safety and security arrangements operate across multiple agencies and property managers.
The immediate next steps are the forensic examination of the seized digital devices, the police request for custody for further questioning, and the continuation of preliminary inquiries by the NIA and Intelligence Bureau. The cause of the Koder House fire remains pending forensic confirmation.
