The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad and central intelligence agencies late on Tuesday detained a man in connection with a train fire in Kerala that killed three persons and left eight with burn injuries, The Indian Express reported.

The suspect, identified as 30-year-old Sharukh Saifi, was taken into custody from a railway station in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district. “He has admitted his crime,” an unidentified senior officer of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad told the newspaper. “We are in the process of handing him over to the Kerala Police.”

On Sunday night, a man had set fire to coach number D1 of the Alappuzha-Kannur Express by spraying an inflammable liquid, suspected to be petrol, The Hindu reported. Three people, including a two-year-old child, died while others suffered burns. The arsonist escaped immediately after one of the passengers pulled the emergency chain.

A sketch of the suspect was released by the Kerala Police based on the description given by a witness.

Saifi, a carpenter, was found by the authorities at around 11.30 pm on Tuesday while he was sleeping at the railway station. He had also suffered injuries in the fire and received medical aid at the Ratnagiri Civic Hospital. Later, he reportedly escaped from the hospital.

A Special Investigation Team of the Kerala Police is investigating the case.