Just two months after a native of Delhi tried to set the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express ablaze, a fire was reported in a coach of the same train, two hours after it had ended its journey at the Kannur railway station early on Thursday, June 1. According to police, the train from Alappuzha was stationed at yard no. 8, close to platform no. 3, when around 1.45 am, the station master was alerted of a fire that broke out at the general compartment of the Executive Express.
In an hour's time, the fire was completely doused and soon the Railway Police and the Kerala Police began its probe. Both the probe agencies have not ruled out foul play as CCTV visuals shows a person moving around with a can. The area has been cordoned off and the probe agencies suspect that some liquid might have been sprayed as the window panes of the toilet of the compartment were found broken.
On April 2 this year, an arson attack took place on the Alappuzha-Kannur Express train as it was approaching Elathur station in Kozhikode district. The suspect, Shahrukh Saifi, allegedly sprayed petrol on the passengers and set fire, in which three including a two-year-old child were killed. Saifi was taken into custody by the Kerala police, two days after the incident, but was later handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Saifi is a native of Shaheen Bagh.