Train shootings: Viral video shows RPF cop justifying killings; Railway Police say ‘verifying clip’

A purported video of the RPF constable, who allegedly shot dead his senior and three passengers aboard a moving train near Palghar station on Monday (July 31), identifying Muslim victims and justifying the killings, has whipped up massive outrage on social media.

Two of the passengers that accused Constable Chetan Singh, 34, shot dead, were Muslims – Abdul Kadarbhai Mohammed Hussain Bhanpurwala (48), a resident of Nalasopara in Palghar and Asgar Abbas Sheikh (48), a resident of Madhubani in Bihar.

In the said video, which was reportedly shot by fellow passengers, Singh is seen standing near the body of one of his victims and slamming Muslims.

“Pakistan se operate hue ye, aur media yahi coverage dikha rahi hai, unko sab pata chal raha hai ye kya kar rahe hain…Agar vote dena hai, agar Hindustan mein rehna hai to main kehta hun Modi aur Yogi, ye do hain, aur aapke Thackeray,” HT quoted him as saying in the purported video.

Another video shared on social media shows one of the victims lying in a pool of blood and gasping for breath as the assailant stands near him and scared passengers look for cover.

The Federal has not independently verified the videos.

Also read: RPF constable shoots dead 4 persons on Jaipur-Mumbai train

Government Railway Police (GRP) Commissioner Ravindra Shisve said the video clip is being examined along with other materials. “It is too early to jump to any conclusion, and at this stage, it will be premature to comment anything and share any details about the probe,” Shisve said.

“This is the first-of-its-kind of the incident on a running train. Passengers are scared. We want to assure them that police will investigate the incident in detail,” he added.

Terror attack on Muslims: Owaisi

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi termed the killings a “terror attack targeted at Muslims.” He said it was the fallout of continuous hate speech against Muslims and the “unwillingness” of Prime Minister Modi to end it.

“This is a terror attack that specifically targeted Muslims. It is the product of continuous anti-Muslim hate speech & unwillingness of @narendramodi to put an end to it. Will the accused #RPFJawan become a future BJP candidate? Will his bail be supported by the govt? Will he be garlanded when released? Happy to be proven wrong,” Owaisi tweeted.

The Congress said the “cold-blooded murders” were a result of a “hyper-charged and highly polarised news media and social media atmosphere.”

“The cold-blooded murders carried out by a RPF constable is the result of a hyper-charged and highly polarised news media and social media atmosphere. The genie of hate is now out of the bottle and it will take a lot of collective effort to put it back in,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said.

“The message of the Bharat Jodo Yatra was aimed to dial down the hate and violence spreading due to the ideology of the RSS, and the politics of prejudice and polarisation of the BJP. Its top leadership is complicit in damaging the social fabric of India. The vast majority of Indians will soon reject this politics of hatred and vengeance,” he added.

Constable had mental health issues: Railway Police

While the motive behind the murders is yet to be ascertained, the Railway Police have said that Singh, 34, was short-tempered in nature and was suffering from mental health issues.

The accused has been arrested and a case filed against him.

At around 5 am on Monday, Singh, shot dead his senior RPF Assistant Sub-Inspector Tika Ram Meena and another passenger in B5 coach of the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Express train with his automatic weapon. He then shot dead another passenger in the pantry car five coaches away and went on to kill one more passenger in S6 coach, which is 8th bogie from the B5 coach, an official said.

Singh was nabbed with his weapon while trying to flee after passengers pulled the chain of the train which stopped near Mira Road station (on the Mumbai suburban network) at around 6 am.

According to the official, the alarm chain in the train was pulled at 5.59 AM. As the train came to a halt near Mira Road station, Singh jumped down on the railway tracks with his weapon and started running. He was nabbed by personnel of Government Railway Police (GRP) and RPF after a chase and his weapon seized.

The third passenger is yet to be identified.

The Railway Board has set up a five-member committee to probe the incident, said another official.

Singh tried to strangle colleague before murders

A 25-year-old RPF constable, who is the complainant in the case, revealed Singh, who hails from Hathras in Uttar Pradesh, tried to strangulate him before going on the firing spree, a GRP official said.

The GRP official, citing the FIR, said complainant constable Amay Ghanshyaam Acharya said Singh was not feeling well so ASI Meena advised him to rest and take medicines when the train arrives in Mumbai. The complainant said constable Singh went to take rest, but after 15 minute he woke up and started demanding his rifle. When Acharya refused to give him the weapon, he tried to strangulate him and managed to take the rifle and left the spot in anger, he said.

Acharya went to the pantry car and narrated the incident to his seniors. Later, he came to know that ASI Meena was injured in firing, said the GRP official. Acharya feared Singh may attack him so he hid in a sleeper coach. The assailant got down from the train and started walking on the tracks between Meera Road and Dahisar stations.

Acharya asked passengers to close the windows and saw Singh firing on the train indiscriminately, said the official, quoting from the FIR. After 15 minutes when the train started moving towards Mumbai, he saw four bodies, including that of ASI Meena, and when it stopped at Borivali station, all bodies were brought out and kept on the platform, the official said. The bodies were brought to state-run J J Hospital in central Mumbai at around 9.15 pm and their post-mortem examination was being conducted, said a spokesperson of the medical facility late in the night.

12 bullets fired

Singh was arrested and booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 302 (murder), and the Arms Act. The weapon provided to Singh had 20 bullets and 12 of them were fired by him, said the GRP official. He will be produced before a court on Tuesday, he added.

According to railway officials, the accused constable was transferred to Mumbai from the Bhavnagar division last March and had recently visited his native place Hathras. He joined duty on July 17. A forensic team visited the B5 coach and the pantry car of the train and collected samples, a police official said. Singh was staying in barracks. His family includes his wife, two children aged six and eight, and his parents.

(With inputs from agencies)