Kerala train attack case: Accused Shahrukh Saifi slapped with UAPA
With the addition of the UAPA, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) will probably take over the probe.
FollowKozhikode: The accused in the Kozhikode train fire Shahrukh Saifi has been slapped with the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) by the Kerala police, days after the incident.
The move comes after a terror angle was confirmed by the special investigation team and a report was submitted before Additional Sessions Court on Sunday. With the addition of the UAPA, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) will probably take over the probe.
Shahrukh Saifi was earlier charged with IPC 302 (murder), following the death of three people, IPC 307 (Attempt to murder), IPC 326 A, IPC 436, and Indian Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act section 151.
The accused who entered the D1 coach of the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express train, set fire to some passengers leading to the death of three persons, including a two-year-old child, on the night of April 2. Nine people suffered burn injuries in the appalling incident.
After being treated for the injuries he sustained while attempting to flee the speeding train, a Kozhikode First Class Judicial Magistrate ordered police custody of him for 11 days.
Following an intelligence input, the accused was arrested within four days of the attack from a hospital in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra. He suffered injuries on his head, face, leg, and hand, and was undergoing treatment. He was nabbed while trying to escape from the hospital in Ratnagiri. Saifi reached Maharashtra by train and other vehicles after committing the crime.
In the preliminary report, NIA suggests that Shahrukh's contacts in Delhi and Noida must be investigated to check for any links with radical outfits. The NIA assessment also suggests further investigation is necessary as it appears that the attack was premeditated after closer inspection.
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