Kasaragod ∙ There was a serious security lapse in bringing Shahrukh Saifi, the accused in the case of burning train passengers, to Kerala. The suspect, who is even suspected of having terrorist links, was brought 810 km by road without much security. An attempt by the Kerala Police Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) to secretly bring the suspect to Kozhikode failed when the vehicle’s tire burst and lay on the road.
Initially, it was planned to bring the accused by air, but when it was seen that 6 people would need 88,000 rupees as air fare, the journey was made by road. The driver and 3 police officers were in the ATS team that brought the accused to Kerala. There were no other vehicles or personnel to protect their vehicle.
The group started their journey from Ratnagiri in Maharashtra in Innova. As the footage of this spread, the Fortuner moved to Thalappadi near the Karnataka-Kerala border. Both were private vehicles.
While traveling from Kannur to Kozhikode, the group lost its way and reached Katachira on the Koothuparam Road. Fortuner’s tire got punctured at Katachira and lay on the road. The locals gathered around.
After being informed by the Special Branch, a police team from Edakkad station reached the spot but did not use their vehicle. For more than an hour, the ATS team lay in the middle of the road with the accused in the case that gained national attention.
Subsequently, the bolero brought from Kannur AR camp also got damaged when it reached Katachira. When it could not be used, the ATS team intervened and continued their journey to Kozhikode in a private WagonR car.
No travel information was given in any police station in Kerala. The police tried to hide the suspect from the media. It is clear that there was no mechanism to stop the accused if he tried to pass or there was an attack or an accident during the journey. The journey with the accused was fast in a small car. This was also dangerous.
The special branch has given a report that there was a lapse on the part of the ATS officials in the incident and the incidents on the way were an embarrassment to the Kerala Police itself. An official of the team said that it was chosen because it was a practical road for the Ratnagiri-Kozhikode journey.
English Summary: Kozhikode train fire accused Shahrukh Saifi brought to kerala in private car