The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has informed the Kochi NIA court that Shahrukh Saifi, the accused in the 2023 Elathur train fire case in Kozhikode district of Kerala, a religious terrorist. The NIA told the court that Saifi deliberately targeted infidels and was attempting to wage a bloody jihad. Following the submission, the NIA court in Kochi rejected Saifi’s bail plea.
Shahrukh Saifi is a resident of Shaheen Bagh in Delhi. In connection with the case, the NIA had earlier carried out searches at ten locations across Delhi.
According to the agency, Saifi’s objective was to spread terror. He was radicalised through online content, where he frequently listened to the speeches of religious preachers operating from Pakistan.
Among those he followed online were Zakir Naik and Pakistani preachers Tariq Jameel, Israr Ahmed, and Taimu Ahmed. The NIA stated that Saifi independently decided to carry out the attack based on this extremist influence. The chargesheet filed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) named Saifi as the sole accused, and the agency confirmed his involvement in jihadi activities.
The attack occurred on the night of April 2, 2023, when Saifi set fire to the D-1 coach of the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express in Kozhikode. The horrifying act claimed the lives of three passengers, including a child, and left nine others with severe burns.
Saifi was later apprehended from Ratnagiri in Maharashtra. Initially, the case was handled by the Railway Police before being handed over to the NIA. In its chargesheet, the NIA also stated that Saifi chose Kerala as the location for the attack to avoid recognition.
