Tikaram Meena belonged to Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur
For railway cop Tikaram Meena, from Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur, retirement was just nine months away -- a prospect he must have looked forward to. Instead, he was gunned down by his colleague, 25 years his junior, on a moving train in Maharashtra.
Mr Meena, who was due to retire in 2024, is survived by his wife, 80-year-old mother, 35-year-old son, and 25-year-old daughter. The family has been awarded a compensation of Rs 25 lakh, plus an additional assistance of Rs 15 lakh.
On Monday, Railway Protection Force (RPF) officer Chetan Singh, 33, took down Mr Meena, before pumping bullets into three passengers on the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Superfast Express, killing them instantly. The train was nearing Palghar station when Singh jumped off at the next station and attempted to flee, but was arrested.
Railway officials said that four RPF personnel, including Singh and Mr Meena, boarded the train at Surat station in Gujarat to provide security. Escort parties are typically posted on long-distance trains to protect passengers and cargo.
Singh, From Uttar Pradesh's Hathras, has been prescribed by a senior RPF official as "hot-headed" and someone with a short temper. The official said that there was no altercation, and that Singh simply lost his temper and shot his senior, then fired at anyone he saw.
Two of the three other people who were shot dead in the incident have been identified as Ajgar Abbas Shaikh, 48, and Abdul Kadarbhai Mohammed Hussain Bhanpurwala, 62. The identity of the fourth person is still unknown.
According to the police, Singh was involved in an altercation with some passengers on board the train when the 58-year-old Meena intervened. As the latter tried to break up the fight and calm down his colleague, Singh aimed his service gun, an assault rifle, at his senior and shot him before killing three passengers.