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Lone wolf or partner in crime: Cops dig deeper into Kerala arson case

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The probe into the Kerala train arson case has made it increasingly clear that it was an act of terror.

The Kerala Police had at first said that they are still probing if the incident was an act of terror or not. However with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) set to take over the probe, all angles indicate that it was a clear cut case of terror.

Lone wolf or at the behest of someone: Police dig deeper in Kerala arson case

On Sunday the Kochi and Chennai units of the NIA handed out a report to the Centre about the Eltahur train incident. The report clearly said that the terror angle cannot be ruled out. The report also said that there was a clear cut case made out where the accused had planned the entire attack with others.

Kerala train arson clear case of terror, NIA to dig deep into plot, motiveKerala train arson clear case of terror, NIA to dig deep into plot, motive

The investigating agencies are yet to find any clear link between the accused Sharukh Saifi and other persons. During his interrogation, he did confess to the crime, but refused to say anything about others being involved in the incident.

An Intelligence Bureau official tells OneIndia that prima facie, it appears to be a lone wolf attack. What the investigators need to do it scan his mobile device more to find out more on where the ideology was set in. It appears that the accused was radicalised online and those roots need to be checked.

On the face of it, the entire incident looked liked a low cost operation. The main weapon of the accused was a can of petrol. This is in fact a classic lone wolf operation, where the weapon of choice is an unconventional one, the IB official also said.

Meanwhile the investigation has found that Saifi had spent an entire day in Shoranur post his arrival in Kerala on the Seamark Kranthi Express. He had boarded the train on March 31.

He reached the Shoranur railway station at 4.49 am on April 2 with four litres of petrol in three bottles from a fuel bunk that is located just a kilometre away from the railway station.

Kerala train arson suspect unstable, confesses to crime, but remains silent on motiveKerala train arson suspect unstable, confesses to crime, but remains silent on motive

The probe has also found that he had chatted with several persons on the social media. His bank account details are also being scrutinised to check if there was any conspiracy angle to this case. He may have received help from various other people the source said while adding that during the interrogation, he had revealed that he had not visited Kerala before.

The police have also recovered a diary from the suspect in which the names of various police stations have been mentioned. This gave rise to the suspicion that Saifi may have planned similar attacks in other railways stations as well.

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