Kerala train fire suspect confesses to crime, M’htra ATS hands over to Kerala Police

Kozhikode: The accused in the train fire in Kerala has reportedly been taken into custody by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), in coordination with central intelligence agencies, from Ratnagiri.

Sharukh Saifi, a 30-year-old carpenter, who was suspected of being involved in the train fire incident in Kerala, has been detained by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) at the Ratnagiri Railway Station.

According to a senior ATS officer, Saifi was detained based on the intelligence provided by central intelligence agencies, and he has confessed to his crime. The Maharashtra ATS is now in the process of handing him over to the Kerala Police.

Saifi was found sleeping at the railway station on Tuesday night and had injuries from the fire, for which he had received treatment at the Ratnagiri Civic Hospital. He later escaped from the hospital, according to an ATS source.

The train fire incident occurred on April 2, when an unidentified man sprayed an inflammable liquid on passengers on the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express, causing the death of three people who attempted to escape by jumping off the train. The accused managed to escape, but the police recovered a bag, some writings in Hindi, and a phone linked to a person from Uttar Pradesh.

Following the incident, the Kerala Police had prepared a suspect sketch with the help of a witness and had formed multiple teams to coordinate with their counterparts in various states, including Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and the national capital.