Mumbai Jaipur Train Shooting: RPF constable booked for hate crime charge, over enmity against Muslims

The Government Railway Police (GRP) has slapped an additional charge under section 153A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for promoting enmity between different groups on religious grounds against Railway Protection Force constable Chetan Singh while seeking extension of his remand. According to a Mid Day report, the accused had no regrets for killing four innocent people. “Singh told the GRP and the RPF personnel that if the train had not stopped, then he would have killed eight-10 more people. He has said that his final wish is to go to Pakistan and kill everyone there," a GRP source said. He appears to have hatred against the Muslim community, the source added. “This is the reason why he refused to undergo a medical check-up by a bearded doctor (an intern) when he was taken to Cooper hospital following his arrest. He thought he was a Muslim. When other young doctors without a beard were called, he did not protest,” the source added.

Singh’s lawyer Surendra Landage, who is the secretary of Borivli Bar Association, however, claimed that the RPF constable is mentally unwell. “Singh was not in his senses at the time of the crime,” he said. Landage said the police had not presented any report, except Singh’s regular medical check-up like psychological tests before the court in the second remand hearing.According to the GRP, after murdering his senior, assistant sub-inspector Tikaram Meena, on July 31, Singh had gone looking for people who had visible markers of their Muslim identity. After shooting dead Meena, he killed Kaderbhai Bhanpurwala in coach B5. Thereafter he crossed coaches - B-4 and B-3before identifying his third victim, the bearded Bidar native Syed Saifuddin. Singh kidnapped him at gun point, crossed coach B-1 where he did not harm anyone and then killed Saifuddin once they reached the pantry car. Later he went to compartment S-6 where he shot dead his fourt victim, Asghar Ali and then made the hate speech while standing by his bullet-riddled body.