NIA team in Odisha’s Puri to probe train arson case

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Puri, Dec 12:

An 11-member forensic team of the National investigation Agency (NIA) today arrived in Odisha’s pilgrim town of Puri to probe the series train arson incident which was handed over to the central agency on the request of the state government recently.

The team led by NIA SP Prashant Kumar comprises of a five-member forensic team from Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), Kolkata.

The investigators visited the Puri railway station where the prime accused Ramachandran Subhas had allegedly set afire five bogies of three trains last month. They also had discussions with the Goverment Railway Police (GRP) here.

The members of the central investigating team went to the site and inspected the charred bogies of Nandankanan Express, Tirupati Express and Puri-Howrah Express.

Besides, they also scanned the CCTV footages and spoke to the station manager about the incident.

According to sources, Ramachandran Subhas is likely to be shifted from Puri Circle Jail to Jharpada Special Jail in Bhubaneswar today where he will be interrogated by the NIA team.

During polygraph test, Subhas had revealed that he was working in a Mumbai hotel at a paltry sum. During his stay, he developed an affair with a girl whom he had introduced himself as an engineer. He wanted to earn quick money to impress her girlfriend.

The team would visit the Mumbai hotel where Subhas worked, as part of their investigation, to unearth more details about him, sources added.

Before leaving for the on-the-spot investigation, the members had a close-door meeting at the Circuit house here this morning.

The team is also slated to meet the State forensic science laboratory officials who had conducted polygraph test on Ramachandran Subash on December 7, sources said.

The polygraph test result had pointed towards Subhash’s link with Pakistan-based terror outfit and was working as a trainee for them.