RPF constable Chetan Singh who was accused of shooting dead a colleague and three other passengers on board a Jaipur-Mumbai Central Superfast Express, has been suspended from service.
RPF constable Chetan Singh who was accused of shooting dead a colleague and three other passengers on board a Jaipur-Mumbai Central Superfast Express, has been suspended from service. As per the official, Singh was involved in at least three discipline-related incidents in the past. The Indian Railways issued an order notifying the suspension on August 14.
The RPF constable is currently lodged in Thane Central Prison after being remanded into 14 days judicial custody on August 11. In addition to charges of murder, wrongful restraint and kidnapping, the police has charged him under Section 153A of the IPC related to hate speech.
Chetan Kumar Choudhary, reportedly had an argument with his escort duty in-charge assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Tika Ram Meena on the B5 coach of the train from Jaipur to Mumbai. He shot his colleague Tika Ram and went to another bogie where he held three passengers at gunpoint before shooting them dead.
Following investigations, the constable is alleged to have threatened a burqa-clad woman passenger and forced her to say “Jai Mata Di” at gunpoint, the Indian Express reported. The woman has been identified as a key witness in the case. When she said "Jai Mata Di", the constable allegedly told her to say it louder, the report said.
Earlier, a purported video also emerged wherein the accused, Chetan Kumar Singh was seen speaking to passengers while standing over one of the victims' body. He allegedly said, "Pakistan se operate hue hain, tumhari media, yahi media coverage dikha rahi hai hai, pata chal raha hai unko, sab pata chal raha hai, inke aaqa hai wahan… Agar vote dena hai, agar Hindustan me rehna hai, toh mai kehta hoon, Modi aur Yogi, ye do hain, aur aapke Thackeray,” according to a report by The Wire.
(‘They operate from Pakistan, this is what the media of the country is showing, they have found out, they know everything, their leaders are there… If you want to vote, if you want to live in India, then I say, Modi and Yogi, these are the two, and your Thackeray’)
While the video has been removed from social media, based on these clips, and accounts of passengers in the train, Chaudhary has also been booked under IPC Section 153A -- related to hate speech.