A joint team of central intelligence and anti-terrorism officers arrested a suspect on Wednesday in connection with a train fire that killed three people and injured several others in Kerala on Sunday night, officials said.

The suspect, identified as Shahrukh, was caught in Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra, about 1,000 kilometres north of Kerala after a sketch of him was circulated by the Kerala police based on a witness’s account.

“A team of Kerala police has also reached Ratnagiri and the accused will be handed over to them soon,” said an official of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

The motive behind the attack was not clear yet, but the official said the suspect had confessed to setting fire to a passenger after an argument on board the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express train near Elathur in Kozhikode district.

The suspect had poured petrol on a passenger and set him ablaze inside the D1 compartment of the train around 9:30 pm on Sunday, creating panic among the passengers and triggering a stampede. The fire quickly spread to other seats and luggage, engulfing the coach in flames.

Three people died on the spot, and several others sustained burn injuries. Five of them were admitted to Kozhikode Medical College and three to a nearby private hospital. At least three of the injured were women.

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