The Tamil Nadi government said on Wednesday that it would ask the Centre to task the National Investigation Agency (NIA) with investigating the Coimbatore explosion case.

The decision was taken at high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister M K Stalin, wherein the current status of the investigation was reviewed.

"Considering the possibilities of links transcending the borders of the state and the likelihood of international connections during investigation of a case of such a nature, it was decided to recommend to the Centre to entrust the case to the NIA," an official release said, quoting Stalin's directives.

The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act has been invoked in the Coimbatore car explosion case that killed a man close to a temple and led to seizure of explosives from the premises of the deceased. Five men have been arrested so far.

At 4 am on Sunday, there was an explosion in a Maruti car just opposite the Kottai Eswaran temple in the Ukkadam area of Coimbatore. Two gas cylinders, marbles, and nails were found at the scene.

The blast is a definite act of terror, top intelligence sources had told CNN-News18 on Monday.

Recoveries of explosive material like potassium nitrate and sulphur were made from the house of Jamesha Mubin, who was charred to death in the incident.

Eight associates of Coimbatore resident Md Azharuddin, who were arrested in 2019 by the NIA on inputs from the Intelligence Bureau for Islamic State (ISIS) links after the Sri Lanka Easter bombings, were picked up for questioning, officials had said.

With PTI inputs.

Also read: Eight arrested by NIA in 2019 over ISIS links detained for questioning in Coimbatore blast