Former RPF constable who gunned down 4 passengers on Jaipur-Mumbai Central Express, deemed 'mentally stable'

Chetan Singh Chaudhary, a former Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable, who allegedly shot dead his senior officer and three Muslim passengers on the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Express on July 31, has been deemed mentally stable.

In a charge sheet exceeding 1,000 pages, the Government Railway Police (GRP) in Mumbai filed their conclusion based on testimonies from over 150 witnesses. They believe the accused, 33-year-old Chaudhary, was fully aware of his actions when he shot and killed four individuals. Video footage shows Chaudhary firing at three Muslim men, who died instantly, across nine train carriages. He also killed his senior officer, ASI Tika Ram Meena, after a dispute over leave. 

While Meena's murder may have been due to anger, the police believe the other three killings were selective. A video, now crucial evidence, shows Chaudhary making inflammatory remarks. 

The GRP presented Chaudhary via video conferencing due to safety concerns. He was initially charged under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code for murder, along with sections of the Arms Act and the Indian Railways Act. Later, sections 153A, 341, and 342 of the IPC and 151, 152, and 153 of the Indian Railways Act were added. 

The chargesheet also includes sections 364, 427, 506 (2) of the IPC, and Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. However, the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act has not been applied, even though Meena belonged to the Adivasi community. The next hearing is on November 2.

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