The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has chargesheeted the sole accused in the Kerala train arson case. The accused, Sharukh alias Sharukh Saifi, who lived in the Shaheen Bagh area of New Delhi, was self-radicalised through online propaganda of radical Islamic preachers. He has been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Railways Act, and Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act. The incident took place on April 2, when Sharukh set the D1 coach of Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express on fire with the intention to kill people. He had boarded the moving train and continued to travel until Kannur, before escaping to Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, where he was eventually arrested. It was revealed that he had chosen Kerala as the location for the act to avoid recognition and had intended to return to normal life after committing the “jihadi” terror act. Investigations showed that he had been self-radicalised through online propaganda by radical Islamic preachers from India and Pakistan. The case was initially registered at Kozhikode Railway Police Station and later taken over by the NIA. During the investigations, digital devices were seized, witnesses were questioned, and CCTV footage from the Railway Station was analyzed.
Wed. Feb 12th, 2025
