Mumbai-Jaipur train firing: Why are we still waiting for justice?

RPF ASI Tika Ram Meena was shot dead by Singh (right) Pooja, Meena’s daughter

It's been a year since RPF constable Chetan Singh Chaudhary killed his senior officer and three passengers on the Mumbai-Jaipur Express. The accused remains in jail, but the incident is still vivid in the witnesses' memories. Singh's lawyer reports that charges are yet to be framed. mid-day spoke to passengers who travelled on the Mumbai-Jaipur Express and family members of the deceased.

Hyderabad businessman Muhammad Zafar Khan, 77, was traveling with his caretaker, Sayed Saifuddin, who was shot by Chetan Singh. Saifuddin had travelled with Khan to the Ajmer Dargah, and due to a lack of flight tickets, they took the Jaipur Express to Mumbai. Khan's brother, Ismail Khan, still regrets their decision to take the train. "If we had gone by flight two days later, Saifuddin would have been alive today," said Ismail Khan.

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Witnesses speak

"Even today, that incident is vivid in my thoughts. I would think about it for months afterwards, and I often saw the same scene in my dreams. I lost faith in the police and felt fear whenever they passed by. I used to travel by train often, but after that incident, I spent most of my time at home. It was only after six months that I began travelling again. Throughout the journey, the same troubling thoughts filled my mind. I would get scared whenever I saw any police personnel, especially RPF officers," said a 28-year-old woman, who is also an important witness in the case.

The accused Chetan Singh Chaudhary (right) Asghar Ali, one the victims who was shot

The 28-year-old was travelling from Mumbai to visit the Khatu Shyam temple in Rajasthan with her friend in the 12955 Mumbai-Jaipur Superfast train, S6 coach. In her statement to the GRP, she revealed that Chetan Singh was roaming angrily in the coach.

"I asked him what happened, but he glared at me. Later, as I was heading to the washroom with a friend, the same RPF constable stood in our way and glared again. I got scared, took my friend back to our seats, and noticed he was angrily pacing the coach. I saw him talking to a bearded man [Asghar Ali, a passenger] before shooting him twice. Someone then pulled the chain, and the train stopped at Mira Road station. The bearded man, covered in blood, was on the coach floor. A uniformed man passed by, and everyone was in a panic. The train resumed and stopped at Borivli station, where people left with their luggage," she said.

"I couldn't eat for days. At the time, we thought it was a terrorist attack. However, I was shocked beyond belief when I saw a uniformed man standing with a rifle next to the body of Hussain Bhanpurwala [another victim]," said a 60-year-old grocery owner residing in Kandivli. Bhanpurwala had gone to Rajasthan for a pilgrimage along with his wife and cousin brother. He was seated in the B5 compartment where RPF constable Chetan Singh Chaudhary, after shooting his senior ASI Tikaram Meena, shot him.

Asghar Ali's family, who have been awaiting justice

"With time, even the biggest incidents fade from a person's mind, but this was the first time in my life that I saw someone being shot in front of my eyes I was stunned by the sudden incident. Any of my actions at that time could have posed a threat to me and others. I panicked and ran to the toilet passage telling people not to go towards B5. The crime committed by the accused is very serious. He should receive the punishment prescribed by law," said a subedar in the army who was on the train.

Family speaks

"Only someone who has lost their father knows the pain that comes with it. These things cannot be forgotten in a lifetime. I still haven't been able to find out why my father was shot. Whenever I asked, the administration told me that the investigation was ongoing. No one is telling me the status of the case," said Pooja Meena, daughter of RPF ASI Tika Ram Meena who was shot dead. There is no information about the case, what is happening, or where the accused is. Neither my husband's mobile phone nor other documents have been recovered. I demand that the accused should be given at least the death penalty," said Umesha Khatoon, wife of deceased Asghar Ali.

Lawyer speaks

The GRP has already submitted the charge sheet and supplementary charge sheet, totalling about 1,214 pages, with all the evidence, including forensic analysis of videos shot by passengers, CCTV footage, and other proof. They claim that Chaudhary had chosen his victims from a particular community based on their attire. Chaudhary, who was arrested at the time of the incident, has been lodged in Akola prison since.

Chaudhary's legal counsel, including senior advocate Jaywant Patil, advocate Amit Mishra, advocate Surendra Landge (the secretary of Borivli Advocate Bar Association), said that even after a year, the charges have not been framed against Chaudhary.

"Despite repeated requests, neither the jail nor the GRP authority is producing the accused before the Dindoshi session court, even though the court has directed them to do so. Because of the non-production of the accused before the session court from Akola jail, the framing of charges has been delayed," said advocate Jaywant Patil. According to Patil, in the last hearing, the GRP informed the court that no special public prosecutor (PP) had been appointed for the case. They have written to the concerned department to grant the special PP but have not received a response yet.

Patil further mentioned that he is preparing to file a discharge application under Section 227 of CrPC to convert Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder). The defence is preparing to file a discharge application under Section 227 of CrPC to convert Section 302 (murder) of the yet to Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder).