A quiet street in the famous Shaheen Bagh of South-East Delhi was abuzz with activities on Wednesday morning. TV journalists with camera crews jostled to interview Shahrukh Saifi’s father, Fakhruddin Ali, after his son was arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), with the help of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), at a railway station in Ratnagiri late on Tuesday in Sunday night’s train arson case in Kozhikode.
The arrest was made in connection with the incident on a moving train which happened on Sunday night when the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express train reached the Korapuzha railway bridge. Shahrukh had reportedly boarded the train and poured an inflammable liquid on fellow passengers in the moving train and set them on fire.
The deceased have been identified as Mattannur natives M Rahmath (44), Sehra Bathool (2) and Noufeeq (38). Police believe they fell off the train or jumped out of the train to escape the fire. At least nine people are said to be injured. The police did not rule out a terror angle as they recovered a bag from the tracks that had another bottle of petrol and two mobile phones.
Though the Kerala Police had released the images of the prime suspect, it does not have any resemblance with Shahrukh, who was arrested in Ratnagiri. An ATS officer said the accused was handed over to the Kerala Police.
Though the ATS has claimed that Shahrukh has confessed to his crime, the motive remains unknown.
Shahrukh has been working as a casual labourer in a construction site in Kozhikode, police said. However, his father in Delhi claimed Shahrukh had never been to Kerala.
Tracking the case, the police zeroed in on the 30-year-old Shahrukh and reached his house in Shaheen Bagh on Wednesday.
According to officials, a police team visited Shahrukh’s house and questioned his father and two brothers. The brothers were instructed to appear for questioning the previous night.
After Shahrukh’s arrest, the police team also took his father for questioning.
Shahrukh’s family, who settled in Shaheen Bagh years ago, are natives of Gautam Buddh Nagar in Uttar Pradesh. Shahrukh studied till Class XII. After that, he worked with his father as a carpenter.
A team from Kerala Police on Wednesday visited Shahrukh’s home in Shaheen Bagh. His father told the police he was last seen on March 31 and the family had filed a missing complaint.
“Searches were conducted at Shahrukh’s home but nothing was found. His father was questioned. He said his son left the house saying he was going to work but didn’t return. The family tried calling him but his phone was switched off. Later, they lodged a missing persons report on April 2. The agencies have arrested Shahrukh. His parents said they don’t know anything about the case,” said an officer who wished to remain anonymous.
Locals said Shahrukh kept to himself and they expressed shock over a local boy being accused of such a gory crime.
“Shahrukh can communicate in English. He took several books and other stuff from home. He doesn’t have any mental health issues. He used to do carpentry with me,” said Fakhruddin, adding that if Shahrukh is guilty he should be given strict punishment. He said Shahrukh may have been brainwashed.
On Monday, the Uttar Pradesh ATS caught his namesake from the Bulandshahr’s Siyana. He too is a carpenter. He was questioned for hours and later released.