NEW DELHI: Father of Shahrukh Saifi, who is suspected of starting a fire onboard a train in Kerala which led to the death of three, including a toddler, refuses to believe that his son "can do such a thing".
Saifi's neighbours in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh described him as a "simple boy" who never got into fights or arguments with anyone.
They said the entire locality was stunned by the news.
Fakarrudin, a carpenter by profession, said his son had left home on March 31, saying he had some work in Nithari's sector 31, but did not return.
He lodged a missing person's complaint at the Shaheen Bagh police station on April 2.
However, three days later, on April 5, a team of Kerala Police knocked on the door of Saifi's house and told the family members about the train incident, giving them the shock of their lives.
"Some officials from Kerala Police came here around 10 am on Wednesday and left after over an hour. They showed us Shahrukh's photograph and asked some questions about his academic qualifications. They also checked his room and took away some handwritten notes," Fakarrudin said.
"Police told us that he is accused of starting a fire inside a train. We can't believe that he can do such a thing," he added.
Saifi is the eldest of three brothers and his siblings are studying. He used to go to work in the morning and return in the evening. This was the first time that he had gone missing as he never goes too far from home, Fakaruddin said.
Tarruf Malik, one of Saifi's neighbours said, "Shahrukh was a simple boy and used to work with his father. We heard that he was caught somewhere in Maharashtra."
No one in the locality is ready to believe that Saifi can do this, another neighbour, Mohammad Arif, said referring to the tragic incident.
"The whole locality is in shock...how can this happen and how has his name cropped up in this incident," Arif said.
"Shahrukh's uncle called and informed us that his nephew was missing for the last four days. He said Shahrukh's phone was also switched off," he added.
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The suspect, Shahrukh Saifi, was apprehended on Wednesday from Ratnagiri in Maharashtra by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).
On the night of April 2, an unidentified man had set fire to passengers after pouring petrol on them when the train reached Korapuzha bridge near Elathur.
Nine people suffered burn injuries and are undergoing treatment at various hospitals.
Bodies of a woman, an infant, and a man, who had gone missing from the train after the fire, were found on tracks near Elathur railway station.
Police believe they fell off the train or attempted to get down after seeing the fire.
According to police, the incident was probably pre-planned as he was carrying petrol in a bottle in his bag.