Kerala train fire probe is now a pan-India operation

More details are set to emerge with the main accused in the Kerala train fire incident being arrested in Maharashtra.

Although no terror angle has been made out as yet, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) have been looking for more clues.

The NIA and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) too have joined the probe. A team of the RPF visited the spot and took stock of the situation. Both the RPF and NIA teams conducted searches at the spot in a bid to look for further clues.

Three officials from the NIA offices in Kochi and Bengaluru and inspected the compartments of the trains that were set ablaze. The forensic team of the agency also inspected the D1 and D2 compartments. The NIA has been examining if there is any terror link to the incident.

However the NIA can officially take over the probe only once the Union Home Ministry orders it to do so.

Earlier the Kerala Anti-Terrorism Squad had reached Delhi to gather more information about the prime suspect, Sharukh Saifi. His address in Noida was also scanned. The address was zeroed in after the police found document that were found in a bag that was abandoned by him on the railway track.

The probe is at a very initial stage, an officer told OneIndia. The probe team is still analysing his family background and whether the suspect had any past criminal antecedents attached to him.

Saifi is suspected to be responsible for the arson boar the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express in Kozhikode on Sunday night.

Three persons had died in the incident and the autopsy confirmed that they had died not due to burn injuries, but injuries sustained after they jumped off the train to avoid being burnt.

The terror angle too is not being ruled out and a team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) too is looking into the incident.

According to ADGP Law and Order, M R Ajit Kumar, a team of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) held a meeting and teams were formed and special tasks were handed out.

He told the media that this was the first meeting of the SIT.

"We have assigned tasks for the members and the course of the probe has been charted. The probe team received information about the culprit and the verification is on," he said.