The Kerala government will constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe a criminal act wherein a man allegedly sprayed petrol on co-passengers in a train and set them on fire. While nine passengers suffered burn injuries, three people died when they either fell off or were trying to deboard the train in panic.
The incident happened on the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express around 9.45 pm on Sunday, when the train reached Korapuzha railway bridge after crossing Kozhikode City.
The accused is yet to be identified and no arrests have been made so far in the case. Police have obtained CCTV visuals and are probing the case. They have clarified that a youth leaving on a bike, caught on CCTV, was not the suspect.
A Railway Police officer said a sketch of the accused has been released based on the statement by one of the passengers.
Police suspect the accused to be a north Indian and believe that he had planned the incident as he was carrying a bottle of petrol in his bag.
“No other details can be shared presently. The investigation is going on,” the officer said.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the investigation is being supervised by State Police Chief Anil Kant and the police are trying to nab the accused.
He condoled the death of the three passengers — a woman, her infant niece and a man. They are believed to have fallen off the train or tried to get off the train in panic.
Their bodies were recovered from the tracks near Elathur railway station, late on Sunday night.
An officer said luggage believed to be that of the accused was recovered from the train — Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express train — and it contained a bottle of petrol.
"Besides that, there were no other clues in the bag. It is not believed to be an act of terror. There is no information or links regarding that presently," it said.
Although police initially believed that the accused had sprayed petrol on other passengers after an altercation, passengers later told them that there was no altercation with any of them.
"None of the passengers said they had an altercation or argument with the accused," the Railway Police officer said.
One passenger, who suffered minor burn injuries, told a TV channel that the man suddenly came silently and sprayed petrol on several persons and set fire to them.
"It was very unexpected. There were few people in the compartment. Everyone panicked and started running when he set fire to people," he said.
Former Leader of Opposition in the state assembly and senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said there was a need to increase the security in trains and from now everyone should be checked before being permitted to board a train.
"It would be unfortunate if people cannot travel safely in trains. It is an unprecedented incident. The state and central governments should take up the issue seriously," he said.
Chennithala also claimed that the incident was an example of the ineffectiveness in the functioning of the Railway Police Force (RPF).
"The incident should open our eyes to the need for increased security in trains," he added.
Earlier in the day, Railway police said some of the injured had suffered 50 per cent burns, but their health condition was stable.
The bodies found on the tracks did not have any burns, it said.
The accused had escaped soon after the incident, while the injured were shifted to hospitals after passengers pulled the emergency chain.
When the train reached Kannur, a few passengers complained that a woman and a child were missing after the incident.
"A man, who was injured, kept looking for a woman and a child. We found footwear and a mobile phone of that woman," a passenger told the media at Kannur.
Soon after the news of the missing persons came out, the city police inspected the tracks and found three bodies, including the woman and the child and a middle-aged man.
"We have found CCTV visuals of the suspect. Investigation is on," a senior police official of the district had said.
(Edited by : Pradeep John)
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