KOCHI: As the search continues for the man who rode a luxury bike on the crowded platform of Ernakulam North station, railway police suspect that he could have been misled by Google Maps or may have been trying to evade someone.
“The rider accessed the platform around 5 am, entering through a side gate meant for passengers, not the main entrance. He could have been misled, or he may have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or fleeing someone, possibly even the police. There is no other reason for him to enter the platform, which typically has no easy exit,” a top source with railway police said.
However, the officer added that reckless speeding, performance of stunts and subsequent escape indicate the suspect may have been carrying something with him or trying to conceal it.
Meanwhile, considering the gravity of the incident, the special investigation team (SIT) of the railway police has taken over the investigation into the incident. The probe team will be led by the DySP of railway police, and includes two inspectors and a group of sub-inspectors.
Detailing the incident, Suresh, an inspector with RPF Ernakulam North, said the incident occurred on Tuesday on platform two, shortly after the Pune-Kanyakumari Express had departed and another train was entering the station.
“The rider entered through a side gate and sped across the platform towards the east side. GRP and RPF personnel on duty chased him, but he accelerated, abandoned the BMW G310R bike at the south end of the platform, removed the key, and fled by jumping onto the tracks,” he said.
Police later traced the bike to EVM Wheels, Thykoodam, from where it had been rented three days earlier at Rs 65 an hour for a month. Based on ID documents submitted, the suspect was identified as Ajmal, 36, of Mudikkal, Perumbavoor.
The motive of the rider remains still unclear and will only be known once he is caught, said Suresh.
Meanwhile, responding to the ongoing probe, a personnel with railway police, said, “The suspect is absconding. We have leads and a manhunt has been launched to apprehend him.”
A case has been now registered on charges of rash driving, criminal trespass under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and maliciously endangering passenger safety under the Railways Act. More charges may follow as the investigation progresses.