Maharashtra: A joint team of Central Intelligence & Maharashtra ATS nabbed Sharukh Saifi, the absconding accused in Kerala train fire case, from Ratnagiri Railway Station of Maharashtra on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday.
His location was traced to Ratnagiri yesterday. A team of Kerala police has also reached Ratnagiri and the accused will be handed over to them soon, according to Maharashtra police.
Union Railway Minister spoke on the Kozhikode train fire case and informed the media that the suspect nabbed by police in Maharashtra. He also thanked the Maharashtra government, police and RPF for their efforts and cooperation to apprehend the accused.
NIA & ATS took up the case
The NIA team & anti-terror squad started investigating the case. The investigation team recovered a bag near the railway track yesterday. Police have prepared a sketch of the suspect, as reported by news agency ANI.
About the Kerala train fire incident
In an incident with a possible terrorism angle, three persons, including a child, were killed when the attacker, Sharukh Saifi indiscriminately threw petrol on train passengers and set them on fire in a running train near Kozhikode on Sunday night.
The deaths occurred when the victims tried to jump out of the train to escape the fire. Nine others are in hospital with burn injuries. The condition of one of them is stated to be serious.
The incident occurred in the D-2 compartment of Alappuzha-Kannur executive express after it passed the Kozhikode station.
Attacker fled away after committing the crime
Saifi committed his crime when the train was on a bridge probably to ensure maximum impact. He slipped away under the cover of darkness when the passengers pulled the chain and stopped the train.
The bodies lying on the track were discovered by the driver of a train that came after the one involved in the incident.
A special investigation team has been formed to investigate the matter. The team then managed to identify the attacker on the basis of the contents of a bag left behind. A phone in the bag, though without a working SIM, gave the police valuable clues.
