Kerala train fire incident: Suspect nabbed from Maharashtra

RATNAGIRI (Maharashtra): A joint team of Central Intelligence and Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Maharashtra nabbed a man suspected of starting a fire on a Kerala train, officials said on Wednesday.

The accused, identified as Shahrukh Saifi was nabbed from Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district on Tuesday night based on a sketch released by the Kerala Police.

“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. Yesterday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) inspected the train coaches of the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express Train stopped at the Kannur Railway station and collected forensic evidence.

Three persons were killed and several others sustained burn injuries after the suspect poured petrol on a fellow passenger and set him on fire inside the D1 compartment of the Alappuzha-Kannur Main Executive Express train near Elathur in Kozhikode district.

The incident took place on Sunday night. According to police, the man set fire to a passenger allegedly after an argument. At least eight persons sustained injuries in the incident.

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. The Kerala Police had released a sketch of the suspect prepared at the Elathoor police station in Kozhikode with the help of Razak, an eyewitness.

Three passengers who sustained burns while attempting to douse the fire were admitted to a nearby private hospital and five to Kozhikode Medical College.

At least three of the injured are women. One of the injured persons had informed that an unidentified assailant splashed an inflammable substance, seemingly petrol or kerosene on his co-passenger and the fire spread to spread to other seats and luggage, engulfing the coach in flames.