On the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday, a joint squad from Central Intelligence and Maharashtra ATS apprehended Sharukh Saifi, the fugitive defendant in the Kerala train fire case.
On April 2, around 9:45 p.m., the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express crossed Kozhikode city, and Saifi is accused of pouring an ignitable substance onto a fellow passenger, lighting them on fire.
While eight other passengers were hurt in the incident, three people—including a lady and a 1-year-old child—were discovered dead on the tracks hours later close to Kozhikode’s Elathur railway station.
On Tuesday, Saifi’s whereabouts were discovered in Ratnagiri. According to information, Sharukh Saifi was receiving care for head injuries he sustained after falling off the train he had intended to attack in Kerala at Ratnagiri civil hospital.
However, the accused left the facility without receiving the full course of care. Following thorough searches in the Ratnagiri region, Sharukh Saifi was located and taken into custody.
His questioning has not yet begun while he is being held by the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Ratnagiri. Ratnagiri has also been reached by Kerala Police.
According to sources, “one of the addresses traced to Saifi is of the area in the national capital.” A team of Keralan police also arrived in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh to perform searches.But it’s unclear at this point whether he is the same Sharukh,” the insider continued.
Top intelligence sources claimed that a phone and journal had been found near the fire. Police were informed by some observers that the suspect was not South Indian.
A few Saifis were apprehended from western Uttar Pradesh, including Moradabad and Bulandshahr, based on the journal. According to reports, Shaheen Bagh was the location of the recovered phone, which had no SIM card.
The family informed Kerala authorities that their son was missing and that they had filed a report on March 31. After that, Sharukh Saifi was captured by the agencies with the family’s assistance, according to additional reports.
They added that after meeting Saifi’s family, six of his phones were placed under monitoring. According to sources, “one of the phones turned on around 1:30 am, and Maharashtra ATS was informed about the location.”
The neighbourhood police squad was alerted, and they hurried to Ratnagiri hospital where they learned that a man with injuries had arrived but later fled. Saifi was located at the station after a thorough search of the entire neighbourhood.
Although agencies are verifying his claims, sources claim that the accused is “mentally fit” and informed officers that “he was asked to set the Kerala train on fire.” They noted that more information would surface after closing questioning.
Around 11 am, the Superintendent of Police for Ratnagiri is expected to address the media. After all the procedures are finished, Saifi will be given to the Kerala police. The local judge would grant his transit remand so Kerala police could transport him to the southern state.
