Comments
A team of the railway police from Kerala has reached Noida in Uttar Pradesh following ‘definite clues’ on the perpetrator of an as-yet unexplained incident of arson inside the compartment of the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Train near Kozhikode late on Sunday.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is reported to be looking into the case to probe for any possible link to a terrorist act after three bodies were recovered of passengers jumping off the train after petrol was splashed in the cabin and set afire.
Nine sustain burns
In all, nine persons had sustained severe burns in the attack, according to the police. The three passengers who died belonged to a family and included a toddler. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed deep sorrow over the incident. The police have been asked to initiate a comprehensive inquiry into the case, he added.
Witnesses said the suspect ran away after committing the crime and disappeared into the bogies in the rear. He had apparently carried two bottles of petrol with him.
The police recovered a bag believed to have been left behind by the suspect, Sharookh Saify of Noida. Contents of the bag also included a dairy with scribblings of ‘Sharookh Saify, carpenter’, a mobile phone without a SIM card, an unspent bottle of petrol, and a meal box.
Security implications
The police have prepared a sketch of the facial features of the suspect based on witness feedback and have asked petrol dealerships in the area to identify him.
Passengers of the ill-fated train also told the police they were not sure if the suspect had disappeared into the night or had indeed travelled with them in another compartment in the rear.
The police said CCTV grabs of a person lifted from the neighbourhood nor case of another reporting at a hospital with a leg injury bore no relation to the suspect. They are not taking lightly the security implications of the attack, sources said.
The perpetrator seemed to have selected soft targets in a chilling reminder of the modus operandi resorted to in attacks on transport systems the world over, even involving the unauthorised use of fuel with a proven intention to kill.
Police have ‘leads’
State Police Chief Anil Kant said in Thiruvananthapuram the police are working on ‘some leads.’
“I have initiated the formation of a Special Investigation Team. The Inspector General of Police, North Zone, is heading the probe. The probe would also cover the conspiracy angle, if any,” he said. Kant himself had left for Kannur to supervise operations.
Comments
COMMENT NOW
Comments
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.