Railway Guard Kills 4 On Moving Train, Fired 12 Rounds From Assault Rifle

A Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel on Monday morning shot dead four people, including an Assistant Sub-Inspector, on-board a running train near the Palghar railway station in Maharashtra, an official said. He was later arrested after attempting to run away.

"Four casualties, including the ASI, have been reported in the firing incident inside the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Superfast Express (12956). The accused has been arrested. DCP North GRP has been informed," the Railway Protection Force has said.

The accused, RPF Constable Chetan Singh, opened fired from his official automatic weapon around five in the morning, killing another RPF colleague, his escort duty in charge ASI Tikaram Meena, and three passengers on the train, which was on the way to Mumbai from Jaipur, officials said. He fired 12 rounds.

The police said of the three others who were shot dead, two have been identified as  Ajgar Abbas Shaikh, 48, and Abdul Kadarbhai Mohammed Hussain Bhanpurwala, 62. The fourth is yet to be identified.

Tikaram Meena was a resident of Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur, and Chetan Singh is from Hathras in Uttar Pradesh. Two other RPF jawans were accompanying them, and the police is recording their statements, they said.

Chetan Singh had a short fuse, a top officer of the force has told the media.

Addressing the media, Inspector General of RPF (Western Railway) Praveen Sinha said, "He had a short fuse, he was quite hot-headed. There was no altercation. He just lost his temper and shot his senior, then fired at whoever he saw."

"Constable Chetan Singh fired on Party Incharge ASI Tikaram Meena from his ARM Rifle and one unknown Passenger at Coach No B 5, and then fired on two other unknown Passenger in Coach No S 6 and Pantry car attached to the train. At about 6:18, the train reached Borivali and four dead bodies were retrieved by GRP and RPF officers and staff. The passengers are yet to be identified. Constable Chetan has been detained, and his ARM recovered," the RPF said in an official statement.

The Western Railways has said they are conducting a high level enquiry. The accused was posted in Lower Parel, they said.

After killing his senior, the constable went to another bogie and shot dead three passengers, news agency PTI said, quoting officials.

The RPF constable opened fire inside the moving train after it crossed Palghar Station, pulled the chain and got out of the train near Dahisar Station, the Chief Public Relations Officer of the railways said. He was caught by police at Mira Road with the help of Government Railway Police and RPF officials.

According to railway officials, four RPF personnel, including the accused, were escorting the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Express from Surat station in Gujarat on Monday.

The four-member team earlier escorted Dadar-Porbandar Saurashtra Express up to Surat station the previous day. On the return journey, the escorting party was guarding the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Express, a senior railway official said.

The escort parties generally have four to five personnel of the GRP and RPF in a long distance train. They provide security to trains in their respective railway divisions and thereafter, counterparts from other divisions take over the responsibility of guarding the trains.

Western Railway's (WR) chief public relations officer Sumit Thakur told PTI that the accused constable was attached to the Lower Parel RPF post here, while ASI Tika Ram Meena was attached to the Dadar RPF post.

The Jaipur-Mumbai Central Express departed from Jaipur station in Rajasthan at 2.01 pm on Sunday and reached Surat station, where the escort party boarded the train, at 2.47 am on Monday.

Western Railways said compensations have been announced for the family of ASI Tikaram Meena -- Rs 15 lakhs will be given from Railway Surksha Kalyan Nidhi, Rs 20,000 for funeral expenses, Rs 15 lakhs as Death-cum-Retirement Gratuity, and Rs 65,000 as General Insurance Scheme.

Tikaram Meena is survived by a wife and two children -- a 25-year-old daughter named Pooja, and a 35-year-old son. Both of them are married. He also has an 80-year-old mother. Mr Meena was due to retire in 2025.