Mumbai Train Firing: Cop Shot "Bearded" Man Twice, Witness Tells Court

Constable Chetan Singh Chaudhary is accused of fatally shooting his senior colleague and three passengers.

Mumbai:

On Monday, a 29-year-old witness testified in a Mumbai court regarding the July 2023 incident where an RPF constable allegedly killed four individuals aboard a moving train. She recounted seeing a "bearded" man lying in a pool of blood after the accused shot him twice.

The witness, traveling with a friend during the shooting, provided a detailed account of the deadly attack that unfolded before her.

Former Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable Chetan Singh Chaudhary stands accused of fatally shooting his senior colleague, Assistant Sub-Inspector Tika Ram Meena, and three passengers on the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Superfast Express near Palghar railway station in Maharashtra on July 31, 2023.

Chaudhary was subsequently apprehended near the railway tracks and has remained incarcerated since the incident. He was also terminated from his position.

While testifying before Additional Sessions Judge YB Pathan at the Borivali court, the witness stated that she awoke around 5:30 am and observed someone fleeing from a pantry car, with the accused RPF constable in pursuit.

"I inquired if something had happened to the RPF officer (Chaudhary). He merely glared at me angrily, prompting me to quietly return to my seat," she testified.

The woman described how her friend attempted to use the washroom, but the RPF constable was blocking access. When asked to allow passage, he glowered at her friend, forcing them both to retreat to their seats.

The witness further stated that after patrolling their compartment several times, the accused approached a bearded passenger and initiated an argument.

She testified that Chaudhary subsequently fired twice at the man, whom she later observed lying in a pool of blood, as she explained during examination by additional public prosecutor Sudhir Sapkale.

When questioned by defense attorney Jaywant Patil, the terrified witness admitted she did not approach the location where the shooting occurred.

The witness added that she later viewed news reports about the incident and the RPF constable's arrest when she returned home.

She positively identified the accused, Chaudhary, who appeared via video conference during the proceedings.

Chaudhary faces charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 302 (murder), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc.) and other provisions, along with relevant sections of the Railways Act and the Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Property Act.