Video Producer: Shohini Bose
Video Editor: Karuna Mishra
Hours after a Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable opened fire inside a Jaipur-Mumbai train, killing four people on Monday, 31 July, The Indian Express reported that the "shooting followed an argument that took a communal turn."
A 51-second long purported video from the train, allegedly minutes after the incident, has also surfaced online in which the accused can be seen saying, "If you want to live in India, vote only for Modi, Yogi."
What Happened?: A 33-year-old RPF officer, Chetan Singh, allegedly fired 12 rounds from his automatic service weapon on board the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Superfast Express, killing his colleague ASI Meena, before moving from one coach to another, killing three passengers.
The other deceased have been identified as Abdul Kadir in coach B5, Asgar Kai in coach S6, and an unidentified person in the pantry, the Mumbai Railway police confirmed.
The incident took place around 5 am near Palghar station, after which Singh allegedly got down from the train near Dahisar railway station, the police added.
"An unfortunate incident has been reported today in Mumbai-Jaipur Superfast Express. An RPF constable, Chetan Kumar opened fire at his colleague ASI Tikaram Meena and during the incident, three other passengers were also shot. According to a preliminary investigation, he opened fire using his official weapon. The accused has been arrested. The reason for the firing is not clear yet, we are investigating it," said Sumit Thakur, CPRO Western Railway.
A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against Singh at the Borivali Railway Police station under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Arms Act and Railway police Act, the police said.
The police has announced that the family of ASI Meena will get an ex-gratia amount of Rs 25 lakh.
The bodies of the deceased have been returned to their families after post-mortem, the police added.
The Motivation: The police has stated that the motivation behind firing is not known yet, and investigation for the same is underway.
The Indian Express, citing a source from Western Railways, reported that the firing followed an argument that took a communal turn.
Meanwhile, in the purported video after the incident, Singh allegedly said, "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."
Government Railway Police (GRP) commissioner Ravindra Shisve, however, said that the said video is being investigated.
Meanwhile, Inspector General cum Principal Chief Security Commissioner, Western Railway PC Sinha claimed that Singh is "suffering from mental health issues," reported The Indian Express.
“Constable Chetan Singh is suffering from mental health issues. He first shot his superior and then shot those who came in front of him. He had just returned from leave.”PC Sinha, IG, Western Railway
Singh came back from his hometown Hathras after a 12-day-leave and resumed his duty from 18 July, The Indian Express reported.
Singh's uncle, Bhagwan Singh alleged to The Quint, "Chetan's colleagues were harassing him for quite some time. They were not transferring him. That's why he must have taken this step."
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