According to sources, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the Kerala train fire tragedy case and has begun its investigation, charging the “highly radicalised” arrested accused Shahrukh Safi. The move was made in response to an order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Counter Terrorism and Counter Radicalization (CTCR) division.
According to the sources, the NIA invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in its investigation because it had doubts that the accused was sent to the state by his handlers and received adequate local assistance. The case was taken over by the anti-terror agency from Kerala Police, which had been investigating it under UAPA.
The NIA’s action comes just days after the accused, identified as Shahrukh Saifi, who also suffered burn injuries during the terror act, was charged with murder by a district session court in Kozhikode on Friday under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code. In a case filed by the railway police, he was charged with murder.
According to officials, there was a pre-planned conspiracy behind the crime, and it was not a one-man mission, as the accused admitted. Saifi, 27, a resident of Shaheen Bagh in Delhi, was apprehended on Wednesday by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Maharashtra Police and Central Intelligence and brought to Kozhikode earlier this month for treatment for his injuries.
During an interrogation by a special investigation team (SIT), Saifi made contradictory statements, initially claiming he was being used by someone and later retracted his claim, claiming everything was planned and executed by him alone.
The NIA is expected to look into the larger conspiracy in which Saifi, who was described by Kerala police as “highly radicalized” and influenced by inflammatory speeches by Islamic evangelist Zakir Naik, planned and carried out the arson attack.
The agency will also investigate possible handlers and aides who may have been involved in this conspiracy, as Saifi is a resident of Shaheen Bagh in Delhi and was arrested in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra.
The NIA has been investigating the train arson case since its inception, working with officers from its Kochi branch. The agency officers also arrived at the scene shortly after the attack to investigate the cause of the fire and collect samples for forensic analysis.
Saifi attempted to set fire to some passengers on the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express at Elathur in Kozhikode on April 2 after spraying them with an inflammable liquid. Three passengers died while attempting to jump from the train to escape the fire. Saifi was later apprehended in Ratnagiri.
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