Kerala train fire: Ashwini Vaishnaw thanks Maharashtra government for nabbing suspect

New Delhi [India], April 5 : Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday said that the suspect in the arson attack inside a train in Kerala has been nabbed from Maharashta's Ratnagiri district.

"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 here today.

A joint team of personnel from Central Intelligence agencies and Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) in Maharashtra nabbed from Ratnagiri, the suspected perpetrator who had been absconding after the April 2 incident on the Alappuzha-Kannur Express when it was passing through Elathur in Kozhikode district of Kerala.

"A team of Kerala police has also reached Ratnagiri and the accused will be handed over to them soon," said an official of the Maharashtra ATS.

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.

Police also said that three persons, including a child and a woman, were found dead on the tracks near Elathur railway station hours after the incident.

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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