The Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) Court here allowed the Government Railway Police (GRP) to take train arson accused Ramchandran Subash on a three-day remand.
The GRP had on Monday prayed the court for a remand extension of 10 days.
Sources said the GRP would try to elicit more information on Ramchandran’s possible link with a Mumbai module before the case is handed over to National Investigating Agency (NIA) as requested by the State Government on Thursday.
Official probing the matter suspect that Subash may have been employed by such a group, which is carrying out ‘dry runs’ across places of religious significance.
Sources said since Subash carried out the crime for reconnaissance in Tirumala and Akshardham with some of his associates, investigators are looking to identify his associates.
Intelligence officials, who questioned him, said he had admitted to involvement in similar incidents in Hrishikesh-Delhi train at Hardwar and Gaya stations this month.
“On the day of the Puri incident, he did a similar act at Kharagpur. He also admitted setting fire to a suburban train in Chennai last year and in Mumbai two months ago,” said a probing official. However, he said most of his claims are yet to be corroborated.
The National Investigation Agency is likely to take over the probe in next couple of days through a formal notification.