To gain a deeper understanding of the Kozhikode train arson case, anti-terror squads (ATS) from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh have been deployed in Kozhikode and Kannur districts.
The move comes despite a specialised team of the Kerala Police conducting an extensive week-long investigation, which is yet to yield any solid leads, leaving the public in the dark about the alleged premeditated attack on the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express on April 2.
The prime suspect, Shahrukh Saifi, hailed from Shaheen Bagh in Delhi and worked as a small-time carpenter in the neighbouring city of Noida, Uttar Pradesh. He has been accused of dousing fellow passengers with petrol and igniting them aboard the train at 9.30 p.m. The harrowing incident led to three deaths as the victims jumped from the train to escape the flames, while nine others sustained burns.
Though Saifi, who was sent in police custody, is yet to be interrogated by the squads, external probe is in full swing covering the crime spot at Elathur and other locations with the support of plainclothesmen. According to sources, ATS from States such as Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh are also likely to collect details of the case soon.
For verification purposes, some ATS officers are in touch with passengers in the D1 coach of the train. The first information report of the Government Railway Police and details of investigations by the Kerala Police are now with them to proceed with the preparation and submission of individual reports to the respective States.
Meanwhile, senior police officers claimed that it was part of a voluntary check to ensure that the suspect was not involved in any anti-national activities or cases in their States. The special investigation team is cooperating with all such squads along with exchange of available information with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other intelligence wings, they said.
Yet, the entry of anti-terror squads from other States attains significance in the wake of confidential details of decoded call data records, social media communications, and travel details of the suspect who was nabbed by the Maharashtra ATS on April 4 and handed over to the special investigation team the following day.
The Maharashtra and Kerala ATS had already quizzed Saifi to elicit the motive behind the attack. The NIA too had carried out a preliminary investigation here and submitted a report to the Home Ministry without ruling out the possibility of terror elements behind the incident.
Legal aid for Saifi
On Thursday, the Legal Aid Defence Counsel (LADC) functioning under the District Legal Services Authority in Kozhikode city for providing free legal assistance and representation to citizens in criminal cases in line with the public defence system moved a bail application for Shahrukh Saifi before the Kozhikode Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-1. It will be considered by the court on April 18.
