Kerala Train Arson Case: Police to invoke UAPA against main accused

Kerala police on Sunday decided to invoke provisions of the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against the main accused in the train arson incident that resulted in loss of three lives.

A senior police official, who is a part of the special investigation team (SIT), told PTI that UAPA provisions will be slapped on the accused in the matter and further details will be revealed in coming days.

The investigating team, which has been granted custody of Shahrukh Saifi, had on April 12 taken him to Kannur for collecting evidence from the two train coaches of the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express train in which he had set fire to some passengers leading to the death of three persons, including a two-year-old child.

Saifi’s police custody is set to expire on April 18.

A Kozhikode First Class Judicial Magistrate had granted his 11-day custody to police after he was discharged from hospital upon undergoing treatment for the injuries he suffered during an attempt to escape from the moving train.

Saifi has also confessed to the crime committed by him, according to the police.

On the night of April 2, Saifi had set his co-passengers on fire onboard the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express train when it reached Korapuzha bridge near Elathur in Kozhikode.

Nine people had suffered burn injuries in the incident while three, including a toddler, were found dead on the tracks. Police suspect that they fell while trying to escape from the fire.