In a tragic incident onboard the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Superfast Express train, a Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable, Chetan Singh, was arrested for shooting dead a senior colleague and three passengers. The incident occurred near Palghar, Maharashtra, at approximately 5 am on a Monday.
Videos circulated on social media showed Singh, 33, standing next to a blood-soaked body with his rifle, hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. In one of the videos, he was heard saying, “If you want to live and vote in Hindustan [India], I am telling you, it’s only Modi and Yogi.”
The victims included RPF Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Tika Ram Meena and three passengers, two of whom were identified as Muslims – Abdul Kadar, 64, and Asgar Abbas Ali, 48, a bangle seller. The third victim’s identity has yet to be confirmed.
According to reports, Singh fired 12 rounds from his service rifle, killing his colleague and one passenger on the spot. He later allegedly shot two more passengers in separate train coaches.
Authorities have begun investigating the motive behind the shooting. According to the Indian Express, Singh was involved in an argument with Meena, and subsequently, he used his own service rifle to shoot his senior colleague.
Following the incident, Singh, a resident of Hathras in Uttar Pradesh, was apprehended by local police at Borivali station in Mumbai.
The shooting has sparked condemnation on social media, with opposition leaders expressing concern over rising hate and violence. Jairam Ramesh from the Indian National Congress party called it a “cold-blooded murder,” and Asadudin Owaisi of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) party described it as a “terror attack that specifically targeted Muslims.”
