Ramadan in India: Muslim Lights Passengers On Fire To Burn Down Train

On April 2, 2023, a brutal jihad attack occurred on the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express in India, where a Muslim, identified as Shahrukh Saifi, poured flammable liquid on passengers. The attack resulted in the death of three passengers and severe burns to nine others, including three women.

Initially, an altercation between the suspect and other passengers was thought to have led to the attack. However, passengers in the compartment have confirmed that there was no such altercation. Instead, the Jihadi poured the inflammable substance on a passenger, set him ablaze, and escaped after other passengers pulled down the emergency chain and the train slowed down.

Passengers immediately alerted the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and helped extinguish the fire. The Kerala Police discovered three bodies, a child and a middle-aged man, lying on the railway track near the spot where the incident happened. It is speculated that they attempted to get off the train upon seeing the fire. All three casualties had no burn injuries.

Police retrieved the suspect’s mobile phone from a bag recovered at the crime scene. Investigations based on Shahrukh’s phone revealed that the SIM card was registered in the name of Shahrukh Muhammad Fakhruddin of Jamia Nagar, South Delhi, and was switched off on March 31. The Anti-Terrorist Squad of the Kerala police has started collecting evidence after receiving a tip-off about the suspect’s presence in Irumpanam in Tripunithura a couple of weeks ago. This new development has paved the way for further investigations into the Brahmapuram waste plant fire that broke out on March 2, 2023.

According to a recent report by OpIndia, it appears that the suspect in the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express train fire attack, Shahrukh Saifi, had undergone a significant change in his lifestyle prior to the attack. Sources close to him revealed that he had become increasingly radicalized and had stopped interacting with his old friends and family members.

It has been reported that Shahrukh had started attending a local mosque in his area and had also begun growing a beard. He had reportedly stopped wearing Western clothes and had started wearing traditional Islamic attire. Additionally, he had started spending more time on the internet and had been watching videos that promoted extremist ideologies.

Shahrukh’s family members had noticed these changes and had become concerned about his behavior. They had attempted to convince him to abandon his radical Islamic beliefs, but he had refused to listen to them.

Police officials have discovered a set of notes in the possession of Shahrukh Saifi. The notes contain several Urdu words, such as “Badkaar,” which translates to “one who does bad deeds,” “Kufra,” meaning “impious” or “infidel,” “Burak,” which means “to shine,” “Fariqain,” referring to “enemies,” and “Maghloob,” which means “defeated” or “subdued.” Furthermore, the notes include the phrase “Do it, Let’s do it,” prompting an investigation by law enforcement and intelligence agencies to determine whether the words are a form of code. In addition, a timetable was found that included instructions to read the Quran aloud, as well as a record of Saifi’s daily expenses.

The revelation about Shahrukh’s religious changes has added a new dimension to the ongoing investigations, which are still in progress. The Anti-Terrorist Squad is currently probing all possible links to terrorism and is trying to establish a motive for the attack. In light of this, the need for better vigilance and security measures to prevent such attacks in the future is more important than ever.