Kerala: Maharashtra youth sets fire to 'no smoking' poster in moving train, held

Police said the arrested 20-year-old youth was suffering from mental health issues while a further probe is on to establish why he wanted to set fire on board a moving train.

Kozhikode (Kerala): Kerala Police arrested a youth after he attempted to set fire on board an Express train in Kerala's Kozhikode district, on Monday. The immolation bid was reported on board Kannur - Ernakulam Intercity Express and the incident occurred between Koyilandi station and was heading towards Elathur station in Kozhikode.

Police identified the youth as a 20-year-old and as a native of Maharashtra. Armed with a cigarette lighter, the youth was seen tearing off a 'no smoking' poster pasted in the coach and was attempting to set it on fire, when the fellow passengers caught him. He was arrested later by the Government Railway Police in the next junction.

"A youth tried to light fire inside the train. The passengers caught him and handed him over to the railway police. He is currently being interrogated by Kozhikode Railway Police," said a senior police official. "He was suffering from mental issues. He tore off a 'no smoking' poster from inside the coach to set fire. We are trying to find out why he wanted to set it on fire," the official said.

A deadly train arson in the same section was reported earlier between Kozhikode and Kannur districts. On April 2, Shahrukh Saifi who was travelling in Alappuzha Kannur Executive Express train sprinkled petrol on his fellow passengers and attempted to set them on fire.

The train was stopped at the Korapuzha bridge near Kannur after one of the passengers pulled the chain. Three persons including a child were killed in the incident linked to the arson. All three attempted to detrain for their safety. Saifi, who entered Maharashtra, was later arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad and handed over to the Kerala Police.

On June 1, the train involved in the arson was torched when it was stabled at Kannur at 1.30 am, two hours after it arrived at its last stop. Third coach from the guard wagon in the rear caught fire and was charred. According North Zone IG Neeraj Kumar Gupta, a West Bengal native Prasonjit Sikdar has set the train on fire.