Kerala police suspect terror angle in Kozhikode train attack, ATS to probe matter

Kerala Police have suspected a terror angle in the train attack case where three people were found dead and several others suffered injuries after a man set a co-passenger on fire inside a moving train in Kozhikode. According to sources, an Anti-Terror Squad has been constituted to probe the case. A National Investigation Agency (NIA) is also keeping constant touch with the Kerala police regarding the case, sources claimed. 

A high-level meeting of state authorities is also scheduled to take place at Kozhikode at 10 am, to decide on the next course of investigation in the matter. Earlier on Monday, Pinarayi Vijayan asserted that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) will be formed to probe the fire incident onboard a train. 

According to reports, Two railway police officers went to Noida in search of the accused who set fire to co-passenger inside the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express compartment. The suspect is a person who had addresses in Noida and Haryana, sources claimed. 

How the incident unfolded? 

According to the police officials, the incident took place on Sunday at around 9:45 pm, when the express train reached the Korapuzha railway bridge. During that time, the accused poured an inflammable liquid on a co-passenger and set him on fire. The incident led to burn injuries to eight other passengers. 

The accused escaped after passengers pulled down the emergency chain and the train slowed down. The passengers immediately alerted the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and doused the fire. Subsequently, Kerala Police came across three bodies on the railway track which was near the spot where the incident happen. It's believed that they attempted to get off the train after seeing the fire. All three, including a woman, a child and a middle-aged man, had no burn injuries. 

KPCC president and MP from Kannur, K Sudhakaran has also written to Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw seeking his intervention into the matter. He also asked him to give compensation to the victims who were set ablaze on a train including those who died in the incident.