Shahrukh Saifi, accused of starting a deadly fire on a train in Kerala, has been charged with murder. Officials suspect terrorism.

Shahrukh Saifi, the accused in the Kerala train fire case, has been charged with murder under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Saifi is accused of setting fire to a train, killing three people, including a child. He is currently undergoing treatment for burn injuries at Kozhikode medical college hospital and has been remanded to judicial custody until April 28. The police have recovered evidence such as a bag with a bottle of petrol, two mobile phones, a lunch box, and a pair of clothes, along with CCTV footage and call details to determine Saifi’s connection to the incident. The SIT team has also been investigating his background and association with individuals and organisations with suspected religious extremist ties. The police officials suspect that Saifi was not alone and was aided by others in carrying out “a suicide mission,” which was eventually subdued due to train passengers’ swift action. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has announced relief of INR 5 lakh each for families of the deceased.