Kerala train arson case: Senior IPS officer P Vijayan suspended in connection with information leak

By Team Newsable | First Published May 19, 2023, 8:40 AM IST

Kerala train arson case: The Kerala government suspended senior IPS officer P Vijayan, the former head of the state’s ATS unit, in connection with the alleged leak of information regarding transportation of the accused from Ratnagiri in Maharashtra to Kozhikode district of the southern state.

The Kerala government on Thursday suspended senior IPS officer P Vijayan, the former head of the state's ATS unit, in connection with the alleged leak of information regarding transportation of the Elathur train arson case accused from Ratnagiri in Maharashtra to Kozhikode district of the southern state.

The suspension decision states that the action was taken in response to a report provided by ADGP Law and decision M R Ajith Kumar that the disclosure of the accused person's transportation-related information constituted a severe security lapse.

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The order also said Vijayan, an Inspector General-rank officer, and Grade SI Manoj Kumar K, who were not part of the team investigating the train arson case had contacted the officers who were taking the accused to Kozhikode by road.

It went on to say that a thorough probe of its personnel based on the ADGP report was required since the ATS branch of the police is supposed to operate with more caution.The order said that it was essential to suspend Vijayan from duty until the inquiry into the case was finished.The investigation will be led by ADGP (Police HQ) K Padmakumar, according to the directive.

The Kerala Police's plan to covertly transport Shahrukh Saifi into the state in a private SUV in order to avoid media and public attention backfired when the vehicle broke down on the side of the road with only three officers to protect the suspect as locals gathered to see him.The team encountered a flat tyre as they were travelling through the state's Kannur region, and the cops stayed inside the SUV for almost an hour as they tried to find a new vehicle for their continuing journey.

On April 5, Saifi was apprehended in Ratnagiri, three days after the night of April 2, when the train arrived at the Korapuzha bridge near Elathur in the Kozhikode district and he reportedly lit people on fire after dousing them in fuel.

hree persons -- a woman, an infant, and a man -- died in the incident after they fell down from the train in their attempt to escape from the fire. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Kerala police was subsequently formed to probe the incident.

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