North Zone IG Neeraj Kumar Gupta | Photo: Sunil Kumar, Mathrubhumi
Kannur: North Zone IG Neeraj Kumar Gupta on Friday evening briefed the media on the fire incident inside an empty coach of Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express at Kannur railway station. According to Gupta, the motive behind the act is the mental frustration of the accused Prasonjith Sikdhar.
“He hails from West Bengal. He is a kind of wandering person. He has worked as an electrician and waiter in places including Delhi and Kolkata. Later he tried to earn a livelihood from bottle picking. For the last two years, it did not provide any fortune and he resorted to begging. He reached Thalassery and soon realised that the state is not a suitable place for begging. He was mentally frustrated. The act was triggered out of that agony.”
Gupta noted that the accused has the habit of smoking beedi and he used a matchstick to set the coach on fire. “Presently, no other inflammable materials have been identified,” he said.
IG pointed out that at present there is no conclusive evidence to link the Kannur train fire incident with the Elathur arson attack case.
He further said that the matter will be probed in detail to have clarity on the timeline and sequence of events. “Presently, there is only one accused, but the chance of any other accused will be probed,” he said.
Further procedures will be completed and he will be produced before the magistrate, Gupta added.
Gupta’s remarks came after a high-level meeting on the matter. In earlier hours of the day, Gupta examined the coach that was gutted in the fire.
According to reports, the accused had previously set fire to trash in the railway station.
RELATED STORIES
.jpg?$p=8cf13ec&f=1x1&w=100&q=0.8)
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
.jpg?$p=a5a9640&f=1x1&w=100&q=0.8)
.jpg?$p=c521eaf&f=1x1&w=100&q=0.8)
.jpg?$p=aee3de7&q=0.8&f=16x11&w=104)
.jpg?$p=a5a9640&q=0.8&f=16x11&w=104)
.jpg?$p=c521eaf&q=0.8&f=16x11&w=104)
.jpg?$p=c2197a1&q=0.8&f=16x11&w=104)
