‘He is short-tempered and often gets into scuffles’

RPF constable Chetan Singh, who allegedly killed four people on the Jaipur-Mumbai Express, was known for his short temper and involvement in scuffles. He was posted in Ratlam before coming to Mumbai in March. Singh had also patrolled the same train for two days before the incident.

Mumbai: The barracks where the railway police force (RPF) personnel reside are nestled between Mahalaxmi and Lower Parel railway stations. It is here that Chetan Singh, 33, the RPF constable who allegedly killed four people, including three passengers and his senior officer, inside the 12956 Jaipur-Mumbai Central Express shared his room with 10-12 other colleagues. There are around five ground plus two-storeyed buildings in the barracks.

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Singh was posted in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh, in the dog squad before coming to Mumbai in March, with a posting in the Lower Parel workshop. “There have been instances when Singh was involved in scuffles and arguments for various reasons, in his earlier posting,” said a senior RPF officer on condition of anonymity.

This was corroborated by the staff at the barracks, who hinted at his being short-tempered and “prone to get into an argument even regarding food served in the mess”. Some said he ran up a bill of over ₹ 2700 at the mess in the last four months. He was conscious about his fitness and would work out with dumbbells regularly and took his meals in the mess that follows a stipulated diet.

The staff does not recall Singh being unwell before he resumed work after a short break. “In fact, Singh had already patrolled this Express train for two days in a row with the same team. He was short-tempered but it’s shocking that such a tragic incident occurred,” said another RPF staff, adding that this was “a rarest of rare” case.

Although fiery by nature, his colleagues said he was not known to have shared any inflammatory videos or spoke about it on the phone. According to sources, on Tuesday, railway officers put out an internal note barring employees from circulating information and video of Singh on social media and WhatsApp.