Kozhikode : Investigators strongly suspect Sharukh Saif, the suspect in arson on board Alappuzha - Kannur Executive Express, had accomplices, at least one, who rode him away from the scene soon after the crime. The GPS map of his travel from Elathur to Kannur raises many questions and so does his version with lots of discrepancies.
The accused first said he travelled by the same train up to Kannur, after setting the fire. According to witnesses including prime witness Rasique, Sharukh wore a red colored shirt at the time of fire. However he wa wearing a black T-shirt when nabbed from Ratnagiri three days later and Sharukh’s answers as to where he changed clothing or how he purchased new shirt at dead of the night, are not convincing. Also footage of exits from trains in Kannur around estimated times does not show Sharukh alight on any of the platforms there. Sharukh’s bag was left behind at the crime scene and sleuths asked where he found money for travel ticket and clothes. His answers are highly dubious in all these.
According to the loco-pilot of the train, the emergency chain was pulled by five people after the fire. Of these, only one person has been identified and treated for burns. The investigators now wonder if other pullers were Sharukh’s accomplices readying getaway for Sharukh and themselves.
Being under medical treatment, Sharukh was spared from interrogation on Monday. Doctors’ team from the Medical College will arrive at Police Camp and examine Sharukh’s health condition. If certified as satisfactory,the questioning will continue.
The Deadly Arson : The gruesome incident took place on the night of 2 march, close to 9.30 pm when a stranger, now identified as Sharukh, emerged in D-1 bogie seemingly from the D-2 and threw petrol from a bottle on to the passengers and then lit a fire. He then fled the scene. Three, including a child, who jumped out of the running died. Nine others sustained burn injuries. The first of its kind incident in State sent shockwaves across public. A multi-agency hunt based on the supects's sketch prepared by Kerala police hellped track the suspect three days later from Maharashtra's Ratnagiri distarict.
