Kerala Train Attack: Shahrukh Saifi Sent To Judicial Custody By NIA Till May 27

The agency’s action comes after Saifi was slapped with murder charges under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code by a district session court in Kozhikode.

The Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) has sent Shahrukh Saifi, into judicial custody till May 27. Saifi is the accused caught in connection to the April 2 Kozhikode's Elathur train attack case. The NIA, on Thursday, conducted searches at 10 in Delhi in connection with the attack. Raids were carried out at Shaheen Bagh and other locations, according to an ANI report. The NIA was searching for hideouts of other suspects connected to the case which was taken over by the anti-terror agency almost a month ago, it started its probe charging the "highly radicalised" arrested accused Shahrukh Safi.

The agency’s action comes after Saifi was slapped with murder charges under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code by a district session court in Kozhikode. He was charged with murder in a case filed by the railway police.

According to ANI, the NIA took over the case from Kerala Police in mid-April following an order issued by the Counter Terrorism and Counter Radicalization (CTCR) division under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). As it was a clear case of terror involving many states, the NIA invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act based on doubts that the accused was sent to the state by his handlers and he got enough local help.

As per officials, there was a pre-planned conspiracy behind the attack, and that it wasn’t a single man mission, Saifi had confessed, reported ANI. 

Saifi, 27, a native of Shaheen Bagh in Delhi, was arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Maharashtra police and Central Intelligence after the train arson attack case. He had also suffered injuries in the attack. 

The NIA is investigating the larger conspiracy as part of which Saifi, assessed by Kerala police to be "highly radicalised" and influenced by inflammatory speeches of Islamic evangelist Zakir Naik, planned and executed the act of arson.

At the time of interrogation by a special investigation team (SIT) Saifi provided contradictory statements in which initially, he had said he was being used by someone and later retracted saying everything was planned and executed by him only.