KOZHIKODE: The special investigation team probing the Elathur train arson attack case suspects that it was a planned crime and the accused might have received local help. The police are questioning how Shahrukh Saifi could have committed the crime and fled the state without any prior travel experience or assistance from anyone in Kerala. They are investigating the accused’s phone records and travel history since 2021.
Saifi, the accused in the Elathur train arson attack case, was remanded in 11-days police custody by the Kozhikode Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court on Friday. The investigating team says that the accused is cooperating with the interrogation.
During the initial questioning, Saifi disclosed to the police the location where he bought petrol for the attack. Following this, the police collected CCTV footage from a petrol pump in Shornur, where the accused confirmed purchasing 4 litres of petrol in two cans on the day of the attack. The pump manager said the police arrived on Friday evening and collected the CCTV footage.
However, due to the heavy rush at the time of purchase, the pump manager stated that the staff could not recall Saifi’s face. The police believe that Saifi planned all this well in advance, as he chose to travel to another petrol pump situated one km away to purchase the fuel, even though there was a petrol pump near the railway station. The accused stayed in the area for 15 hours, according to the mobile tower location tracing, and carried food in a food container. The police are checking the people he contacted during this time to confirm whether he got local help.
As per his statement to the police, Saifi jumped from the train carefully to avoid injury after setting the fire in the compartment. He first sat down on the door side and jumped from the train. He kept his bag near the passage connecting the D1 and D2 compartments, intending to come back and take the bag after setting the fire. But he said he doesn’t know what happened after that, as the passengers panicked and ran, and the bag might have fallen. The bag later became the breakthrough in finding the accused.
Although the suspect has denied any involvement by others, it is still uncertain whether he received help in Delhi or Kerala. The custody application requests that Saifi be taken across the state and outside the state to collect evidence. ADGP MR Ajith Kumar stated that many of the accused’s statements are yet to be verified, and the interrogation will continue the next day at the AR police camp in Maloorkunnu, Kozhikode.
GOT PETROL FROM SHORANUR
Saifi disclosed to the police the location where he bought petrol for the attack. Following this, the police collected CCTV footage from a petrol pump in Shornur, where the accused confirmed purchasing 4 litres of petrol in two cans on the day of the attack