Post News Network
Bhubaneswar: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Tuesday told the Khurda Sub-divisional judicial magistrate (SDJM) court that Puri train burning case accused Subhas Ramchandran has no terror links and he alone set the train compartments on fire.
In its closure report filed before the court, the NIA submitted that the case should be transferred from Khurda SDJM to Puri SDJM court as it is not a case of terrorism and should be treated as a criminal offence punishable under Indian Penal Code.
GRP SP Sanjay Kaushal told Orissa POST that NIA has handed over the case to GRP and only one chargesheet will be filed in the case. Earlier, Kaushal has said GRP is doing its own investigation and NIA its own.
GRP has already informed Orissa POST March 9 that it will drop the terror charges against Subhas Ramchandran. “Nothing has emerged out of our investigation to try the accused under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA),” Kaushal said.
NIA told the court that Subhas was suffering from mental disorder, which it called as ‘‘Megalomania’’.
‘‘Megalomania’’ is defined as a psychopathological condition characterised by fantasies of power, relevance, omnipotence, and by inflated self-esteem.
A major fire had broken out at Puri railway station November 3 last year, in which at least five bogies of three empty stationary trains were damaged. Ramchandran Subhas was arrested after he was found loitering on the platform on CCTV footage while the train was burning.
Apart from GRP, Subhash was interrogated in custody by Intelligence Bureau, National Investigation Agency (NIA), and GRP of West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh in connection with incidents of arson at some other stations. Subhash was also subjected to a polygraph test December 7 last. When asked about the reported news that Subhas had met ISI agents in a Mumbai hotel and took money, SP Kaushal said.
