Kannur: The vehicle of the investigation team, which was en route to Kozhikode with the accused in the train arson case, broke down twice here on Thursday.
The accused Shahrukh Saifi was brought to Kozhikode in a private vehicle later.
The official vehicle, which was changed at the Kerala-Karnataka border, suffered a puncture at Kannur's Katachira at around 3.30am. The rear tyre of the car had burst.
After 45 minutes, Edakkad police reached the spot and secured the vehicle. A vehicle belonging to the Kannur ATS was brought to continue the journey. But this vehicle also broke down due to engine failure.
The accused and the three ploicemen accompanying him had to wait by the road for an hour-and-a-half before hiring a private vehicle to reach their destination.
He was brought to the Armed Reserve Camp police station in Maloorkunnu, Kozhikode.
Delhi native Shahrukh Saifi, the man suspected of starting a fire onboard a train in Kerala which led to the death of three, was apprehended on Wednesday from Ratnagiri in Maharashtra by ATS.
He was arrested when he was going to Ajmer from Ratnagiri railway station. Some of the accused's relatives are also in custody in Delhi. The vehicle got punctured near Kannur after the accused was handed over by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad to the Kerala Police.
On the night of April 2, an unidentified man had set fire to passengers after pouring petrol on them when the train reached Korapuzha bridge near Elathur. Nine people suffered burn injuries and are undergoing treatment at various hospitals.
The bodies of a woman, an infant, and a man, who went missing from the train after the fire, were recovered from the tracks near Elathur railway station. Police believe they fell off the train or attempted to get down after seeing the fire.
According to police, the incident was probably pre-planned as he was carrying petrol in a bottle in his bag.
As part of its probe, a Kerala Police team reached the national capital on Wednesday and visited the Shaheen Bagh area in southeast Delhi. According to TV news reports, the suspect hails from the area.
Kerala Police also sought the cooperation of Delhi Police in the case.
Subsequent to the tragic incident on April 2, the Kerala Police had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to identify and apprehend the assailant.
After a sketch of the assailant was released by Kerala Police based on the statements of passengers who witnessed the incident, the suspect was caught from Ratnagiri by Maharashtra ATS.
