Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable Chetansinh Chaudhary, accused of shooting dead a senior officer and three passengers on a moving train earlier this year, was in a "well settled position and mind" at the time of the crime, a Mumbai court said on Saturday. The accused specifically targeted the three innocent passengers, all members "particular community" , the court said while denying Chetansinh bail.
The court observed that the shocking statements made by the accused at the crime scene clarified that "he was in a well settled position and mind to commit murder of people belonging to a specific community."
Chetansinh Chaudhary's bail was rejected by Additional Sessions Judge (Dindoshi Court) AZ Khan, reported news agency PTI.
The incident took place on board the moving Jaipur-Mumbai Central Express near Palghar railway station in Maharashtra on July 31.
The man is accused of gunning down RPF Assistant Sub-Inspector Tika Ram Meena and another passenger in B5 coach with his automatic weapon. He then moved along the train to shoot two more passengers in the pantry car and the S6 coach.
Chaudhary (34) was later nabbed with his weapon while trying to flee after passengers pulled the chain of the train and got it to halt at Mira Road.
The accused was present in the court during the hearing.
In his bail plea, the accused had claimed that he has been suffering from "haunted illusions of the ghostly world", and doing some weird act.
The police had opposed his plea, saying that he appeared to have harboured "anger and grudge" towards a particular community and showed no remorse for the crime committed.
If his bail is granted, it could create a negative image about the law and also create fear, panic and insecurity among certain religious groups, the Government Railway Police (RPF), which is probing the case, had submitted.
Umesa Khatoon, wife of victim Asgar Shaikh, through her advocates Karim Pathan and Fazlurrahman Shaikh, had also opposed Chaudhary's bail, saying the accused is a "terrorist minded person" and "a threat to national security".
"There is prima facie case of four brutal murders committed by the hatemonger accused witnessed by 39 eyewitnesses and virtually witnessed by the entire nation," the advocates submitted.
In October, the police filed a chargesheet against Chaudhary.
He has been booked under 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 others, as well as relevant provisions of Railways Act and Maharashtra Prevention Of Defacement of Property Act.
- With PTI inputs
