Background Coimbatore City , popularly known as the " Manchester of South India " due to its booming textile industry , witnessed several debilitating communal riots from 1980 , culminating in the serial blasts of 1998 that claimed more 50 lives and injured hundreds . Al Ummah , a militant , fundamentalist organisation that took birth in the immediate aftermath of Babri Masjid destruction at Ayodhya , murdered a Hindu Police Constable on 29 November 1997 at Coimbatore in reaction to which , the police constabulary immediately struck work . According to the various investigative reports that emerged post the attacks , Hindu militants of the region exploited the security vacuum by targeting Muslims and their properties ; 18 Muslims ( and 4 Hindus ) lost their lives at Coimbatore . In an apparent retaliation , the Muslim fundamentalist organisation Al Ummah , within 2 ½ month engineered serial blasts on 14 February 1998 in the run-up to the Parliamentary Elections killing 63 ( 53 Hindus ) , maiming 245 and destroying properties worth several crores of rupees . The confusion and the communal instability of the region , shattered peace , trade , commerce , industry and people ’s morale . Fearing a Hindu backlash , the Army and several paramilitary forces moved into Coimbatore leading to a period of unrest and uncertainty
serial blasts
1998 Coimbatore bombings
K. Radhakrishnan (police officer)