Kerala train fire: Kerala CM lauds investigation team for nabbing suspect

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], April 5 : Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday appreciated the efforts of the investigation team in nabbing the suspect in the train fire incident in Kerala's Kozhikode district.

The statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office said, "I want to appreciate the investigation team for nabbing the suspect in the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express incident in which three people were killed and around 10 injured after setting fire to the passengers."

CM further stated, "Immediately after the shocking incident, the state police chief was instructed to find the culprits. A special investigation team was formed and evidence was collected including scientific tests. As part of that, the accused was caught near Ratnagiri in Maharashtra. The accused was taken into police custody while the investigation was continuing in various parts of the country in connection with the case."

"The suspect, who escaped from the scene of the incident, was caught within three days as a result of the investigative excellence of the Kerala Police and the cooperation of various agencies in other states and the country", reads the statement.

CM Vijayan also appreciated all the police officers who participated in the investigation and other agencies that cooperated, including Maharashtra ATS, Central Intelligence and Railways.

Kerala police on Wednesday took custody, from Maharashtra's Ratnagiri, the man accused of starting a fire on a train in Kerala earlier this month.

"The suspected accused has been taken into custody. He will be brought back to Kerala. After a detailed interrogation of the accused, we will be able to know more details", Kerala DGP l Kant told reporters in Kerala's capital city Thiruvananthapuram.

The accused identified as Shahrukh Saifi was apprehended from Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district on Tuesday by a joint team of the Central Intelligence and Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Maharashtra, based on a sketch released by the Kerala police.

The accused is a resident of the Delhi-NCR, police said.

The police informed that the accused was not cooperating with the investigation or answering questions posed by local police, ATS or Kerala police.

As he has been handed over to the Kerala police, the accused will be taken to Kerala to produce him before the court within the next 24 hours, the police said.

The police further said, "He is severely injured, he was injured when he was travelling in another train and jumped down the train at Khed area in Ratnagiri. Some locals found him and rushed him to a nearby hospital in Ratnagiri, from which the police received the inputs."

Earlier, Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw thanked the Maharashtra government for the quick apprehension of the suspect in the arson attack.

"The person who committed this heinous crime has been apprehended in Ratnagiri of Maharashtra. I thank the Maharashtra government, their police and RPF and the NIA who have apprehended him this quickly," Vaishnaw told outside Parliament.

The suspected perpetrator had been absconding after the April 2 incident on the Alappuzha-Kannur Express when it was passing through Elathur in the Kozhikode district of Kerala.

Kerala Police had formed an SIT and launched a hunt for the suspect identified as Sharukh Saifi, who is accused of pouring an inflammable liquid on a fellow passenger and setting fire inside the D1 compartment of the Alappuzha-Kannur Main Executive Express train near Elathur. The manhunt was based on a sketch prepared by Kerala Police on details provided by an eyewitness.

On Tuesday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) inspected the damaged train coaches of the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express at the Kannur Railway station and collected forensic evidence.

Three persons who sustained burns in the fire were admitted to a nearby private hospital and five persons were admitted to the Kozhikode Medical College. At least three of the injured are women. According to the officials, the man set fire to a passenger allegedly after an argument.

According to one of the injured persons the unidentified assailant splashed an inflammable substance, seemingly petrol or kerosene on his co-passenger and the fire spread to other seats and luggage, engulfing the coach in flames.

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