Puri train fire: Odisha police seeks NIA probe

BHUBANESWAR: Suspecting the involvement of a terror outfit behind the recent serial burning of train bogies at Puri, Odisha Police has sought assistance of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in probing the incident.

"We want an NIA probe into the train fire episode as similar incidents also took place in Hyderabad, Gaya and Kharagpur. Puri train fire was fourth in a row," Odisha DGP K B Singh said.

Noting that NIA has specialised expertise in investigating such incidents, Singh said the Odisha Police have sought their (NIA) help.

The investigation carried out by the Government Railway Police (GRP), Odisha and Railway Protection Force (RPF) indicated involvement of more than one person in the train fire incident, Singh pointed out.

Earlier, the RPF had arrested one Ramachandran Subas from near the burning trains at Puri on November 12.

Subas during interrogation reportedly claimed that a terror module was prepared in Mumbai by five terrorists to cause arson attacks in trains connecting different pilgrim places of the country.

However, the investigating agencies here were unable to corroborate Ramachandran's statement and therefore Odisha police sought NIA's help, a GRP official involved in the investigation said.

"We suspect there is some link behind the train fire incidents in four places in the country," Singh said.

Ramachandran (27), a native of Tamil Nadu also claimed to have received lakhs of rupees from the subversive group to carry out the arson.

Three express trains caught afire on November 12 at Puri railway station, damaging at least four bogies, but no one got injured in the incident.