The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has conducted a preliminary investigation into an incident where an unidentified person poured inflammable oil on co-passengers before setting them afire inside Alappuzha-Kannur Express in Kerala.
The incident occurred on Sunday night in the D-1 coach of the train when the train left Kozhikode railway station in Kerala.
A NIA team from Kochi and Bengaluru units reached Kannur in the morning and inspected the train bogies in which the incident happened. Railway Security Force South Zone IG Ishwara Rao also inspected the bogies.
The NIA is examining if anti national elements are involved in the crime. The Central agency is also investigating the terror angle in the case. Reports suggest that the NIA may take over the investigation into the incident that caused three deaths while injuring nine people.
The Kerala Police are learnt to have identified the accused as Mohammad Shahrukh Saifi, a native of Noida. The police had released a sketch of the man suspected to have set his co-passengers on fire aboard in the Alappuzha-Kannur Express train
Saifi is said to have jumped off the train when it slowed down at Elathur and fled after the incident. He is still absconding and the police say he travelled from Kannur to Mangalore and then to Delhi after committing the crime.
Meanwhile, a team of the Railway Police travelled to Noida in Uttar Pradesh after receiving information about the suspect. There were also reports that the UP Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) took two suspects into custody and later released them.