‘Can create disharmony’: GRP opposes plea of constable who killed 4 on train

Mumbai: The Government Railway Police (GRP) on Friday opposed the bail plea of dismissed Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable Chetansinh Chaudhary, who is accused of killing four people — three of them Muslims—in a hate crime, saying that he appeared to harbour “ grudge against a particular community” and could create communal disharmony if released

Mumbai: The Government Railway Police (GRP) on Friday opposed the bail plea of dismissed Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable Chetansinh Chaudhary, who is accused of killing four people — three of them Muslims—in a hate crime, saying that he appeared to harbour “ grudge against a particular community” and could create communal disharmony if released.

Mumbai: Undated photo of Railway Protection Force (RPF) Constable Chetan Kumar Choudhary who fired from his automatic weapon, killing an RPF Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) and three other passengers of the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Express on Monday, July 31, 2023. (PTI Photo)(PTI07_31_2023_000102B) (PTI)

On July 31, Chaudhary allegedly shot dead his superior, assistant sub-inspector Tika Ram Meena and three passengers, Abdul Kaderbhai Bhanpurwala, Sayyed Saifuddin and Asgar Abbas Shaikh on board the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Superfast Express.

In its 1,203-page charge sheet, the GRP cited testimonies of 150 witnesses, including those passengers who saw Chaudhary pick out men because of their Muslim identity before shooting them dead.

In his bail plea filed last month, the accused said he has been suffering from “haunted illusions of the ghostly world” and doing some “weird act”. The police opposed the plea saying the offence was committed by him “with deliberate intention ”.

“The accused has a lot of anger/grudge against a particular religious community. If granted bail, he could commit similar offences again and create communal disharmony/tension among two communities,” the GRP said in its response while opposing the bail plea.

Chaudhary has been lodged in Akola jail since his arrest, and railway police officials said he has no regrets or remorse about shooting and killing four persons. Railway police also submitted additional evidence in the form of a pen-drive and documents supporting the forensic examination and authenticating that it was Choudhary who was seen roaming in the train with his rifle in CCTV and video recordings.

The court ordered the railway police to produce Chaudhary on December 16.

Meanwhile, Chaudhary’s wife Priyanka, who was present in court, claimed that his actions on July 31 were due to his mental illness, and urged the families of victims to understand the same. He does not remember what he did that day but is regretting the act, she said. She also confirmed that he was not in solitary confinement in Akola jail. “In the beginning, he would not speak to anyone, but now, he does,” she stated.

“I had to start working as we were living hand to mouth. I just want the RPF to release his benefits,” she added.