‘He killed out of hatred’: RPF constable, who killed 4 on board running train, sacked

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable Chetan Singh, who shot dead his senior colleague and three other Muslim passengers on board the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Express on July 31, was dismissed from service on Wednesday for committing a “heinous crime”, as per the order of SKS Rathor, senior divisional security commissioner, RPF.

Singh is currently lodged in Thane Central Prison after being remanded into 14 days' judicial custody on August 11. He was part of an escorting team on the train with three other RPF personnel.

The RPF constable is accused of killing his superior assistant sub-inspector Tika Ram Meena after which he walked from coach to coach and gunned down the three Muslim passengers.

After killing them, Singh gave a communally charged speech, talking about Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The fellow passengers recorded the incident which quickly went viral on social media.

Singh used his service rifle to commit the crime. It was recovered from railway tracks on a down slow line (towards west direction) confirmed by Bhayander Railway station sub-inspector Pravin Tamag, reported The Indian Express.

Also Read: RPF constable forced Muslim woman to chant 'Jai Mata Di' after killing others: GRP

The senior railway officials inquiring into the matter relied heavily on the court’s observation while dismissing Singh.

The court observed that assistant sub-inspector ASI Meena might have been killed by Chetan in a fit of rage, but it is well established that the remaining three innocent passengers were killed one by one, very selectively, out of hatred. Hence, he deserves no opportunity for an inquiry, the senior railway officer observed, reports The Indian Express.

“The act committed by Chetansinh maligns the image of the RPF and his crime comes under the category of heinous crime; hence, it is not feasible to organise a D&AR (internal inquiry) probe as prescribed in the rules. Departmental inquiry takes time, and it will fail to fulfil the very intention of punishing the guilty,” the dismissal order observed.

Delaying action on the culprit will cause damage to the force, and it will also end discipline in the force. And if we ignore it, this will spread like an infectious disease, observed the senior officer, said the report. Delaying a final decision in such a matter can lead to people losing their faith in the RPF, and it will also encourage indiscipline in the force.

Hence, constable Chetan Singh has been dismissed from service as per the rules under the RPF Act, 1987, the order stated.

During the inquiry, RPF constable Jai Prakash Yadav, posted at Bhayander, in his statement said that he saw Singh after he got down from the train and was walking on the track. He was approaching him with a rifle.

When Yadav questioned him, Singh told him to move out of his way, otherwise he would shoot him. He also asked Yadav not to follow him up. Yadav further said that when a local train was passing by, Chetan tried to hide.

Also Read: Arrested RPF constable’s hate speeches established through forensic analysis