“No one from the government has approached us with any help or offered any compensation... We are on our own here,” said Mohammed Jigrullah, the younger brother of Mohammed Asgar, who was shot dead, allegedly by Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable Chetan Singh in the Jaipur-Mumbai Superfast Express on Monday, 31 July.
The victims of the shooting include three passengers – identified as Syed Saiffudin, Abdul Kadir and Asgar – and the accused’s 58-year-old colleague ASI Tikaram Meena.
A 51-second purported video from the train, allegedly shot minutes after the incident, had surfaced online in which the accused RPF official can be seen saying, “The media is operated from Pakistan, and they are the ones showing us the news... If you want to live in India, vote only for Modi, Yogi.”
“I was scared after watching it,” said Jigrullah.
The Quint spoke to Asgar’s brother Jigrullah, who demanded that the accused be “declared a terrorist” and the victim’s family be compensated for their loss.
‘Received no Help to take the Body to Jaipur’: Victim’s Brother
Asgar, 48, who made bangles from stone and gems for a living, was enroute to Mumbai to look for more work when the incident happened. He had booked seat 34 in coach S/6 of the Jaipur-Mumbai train.
He is survived by his wife, and their five children – four daughters and a son – and the family lives in Bhatta Basti in Rajasthan’s Jaipur.
His brother told The Quint that he got a call around 9 am on Monday -- four hours after the incident -- that his elder brother had died in the train.
Jigrullah added that he only learnt about what exactly happened to his brother after he reached Mumbai and completed all the formalities.
“It took 24 hours to complete all the paperwork. We have not even been given any compensation yet. Neither the police nor the railway officials provided any financial help for taking the body to Jaipur,” Jigrullah lamented.
He added that no one from the government has visited them or offered any help so far.
Asgar’s last rites were performed in Jaipur on Wednesday, 2 August.
'I Watched the Video and got Scared'
“My brother was the sole breadwinner of the family and used to earn Rs 15,000-Rs 20,000 a month,” Jigrullah said.
Asgar hailed from Bihar’s Madhubani district but moved to Jaipur with his wife and their children last year.
“The circumstances were tough after COVID-19. So, we had all moved out of our parental house in Madhubani to look for ways to earn a livelihood,” said 29-year-old Jigrullah, who works as an electrician in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
When asked about the purported video shot minutes after the incident, Jigrullah said that he had seen it and “was scared” after watching it.
“The accused picked his victims and shot them. Not only that, he also waited to say the things that he did after killing them. He should be termed a terrorist and punished severely for his actions,” said the victim’s brother to The Quint.
Jigrullah has now demanded Rs one crore as compensation for his brother’s family and financial help to educate and raise Asgar’s five children.
“I watched the video, and I was scared. We are all scared of what is happening in the country. We have to think 10 times before stepping out of our house or doing anything now,” he said.
What Had Happened In The Train?
Chetan Singh, a 33-year-old RPF official, allegedly fired 12 rounds from his automatic service weapon and killed four on board the Mumbai-bound train early Monday morning.
The incident took place near Mira Road railway station in Maharashtra's Thane.
Even as the Government Railway Police (GRP) commissioner Ravindra Shisve told the media on 31 July that the purported video is being investigated, The Indian Express reported that an argument took place between the accused and the passengers over communities.
The accused was arrested on 31 July and a First Information Report (FIR) was filed under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), three sections of the Arms Act and three sections of the Railway Police Act at the Borivali Police Station.
Although, the FIR does not mention the alleged argument over communities.
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