An Indian Railways security guard, identified as Chetan Singh, 33, has been arrested for a tragic incident on the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Superfast Express train. Singh, a constable of the Railway Protection Force (RPF), allegedly shot and killed his colleague, ASI Tika Ram Meena, 57, along with three passengers, two of whom were identified as Abdul Kadar, 64, and Asgar Abbas Ali, 48, a bangle seller, while the third victim remained unidentified.
Videos of the aftermath were widely shared on social media, showing Singh standing beside a blood-soaked body with his rifle. He was heard hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, in one of the videos.
The incident occurred near Palghar in Maharashtra, approximately two hours away from Mumbai, at about 5 am local time on Monday. Singh allegedly fired 12 rounds from his service rifle, targeting his colleague and a passenger, before proceeding to kill two more passengers in other coaches.
Conflicting reports surfaced regarding the motive behind the shooting. While some railway officials claimed an argument between Singh and Meena led to the shooting, others said Singh had been feeling unwell and lost his temper. The authorities have launched an investigation into the incident to ascertain the true cause.
After the shooting, Singh disembarked the train at Borivali station in Mumbai, where he was apprehended by local police. The tragedy has left the community and the nation in shock, prompting questions about railway security protocols and the mental well-being of personnel in such roles.
