Train fire suspect remanded in judicial custody

Kozhikode, Apr 7 (PTI) A local court here on Friday remanded in judicial custody for 14 days the man accused of starting a fire onboard a train in Kerala that led to the death of three persons, including a toddler on April 2.

The accused, Shahrukh Saifi, has been admitted to the medical college here since yesterday for treating injuries suspected to have been caused during his escape after he poured petrol on some passengers onboard the train and set them on fire.

Kozhikode Judicial First Class Magistrate S V Manesh reached the hospital and remanded the accused for 14 days in judicial custody, a senior police official from the district told PTI.

Meanwhile, hospital sources said Saifi’s injuries were not serious, and a medical board would take a decision on his discharge soon.

The police is said to have decided to approach the court again for his custody once he is discharged.

Earlier in the day, ADGP (Law and Order) M R Ajith Kumar said the accused was nabbed with the cooperation of various investigating agencies.

“This a special case which warranted a combined investigation. Kerala police and other related agencies worked together and located the accused and nabbed him. The credit goes to the joint effort taken by Kerala police and other investigating agencies. We are probing all angles in the case,” Kumar told a television channel.

He said the investigating agencies had received information that the accused was in Ratnagiri, and Kerala police dispatched a team to take him into custody.

“We cooperated with the Maharashtra police team and other investigation agencies to capture him and transport him here. Based on the nature of the case, we need a detailed and comprehensive investigation into this case,” he said.

On the night of April 2, the suspect had set fire to passengers after pouring petrol on them when the train reached Korapuzha bridge near Elathur in Kozhikode. Nine people suffered burn injuries and are undergoing treatment at various hospitals.

The bodies of a woman, an infant and a man who went missing from the train after the fire were recovered from the tracks near Elathur railway station. Police believe they fell off the train or attempted to get down after seeing the fire.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Kerala police was subsequently formed to probe the incident.