In a significant development in the Palghar train shooting case, a Mumbai court on Wednesday formally charged Chetansinh Chaudhary, a dismissed Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable, with murder and promoting enmity between different religious groups. The charges stem from a tragic incident on July 31 last year, where Chaudhary allegedly shot dead four individuals, including an RPF Assistant Sub-Inspector, aboard the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Express near Palghar station.
Held in Akola jail, some 550 km from Mumbai, Chaudhary was brought before the court which initiated the trial process by framing the charges. According to the prosecution, Chaudhary used his service weapon in the shooting. He was apprehended near Mira Road station after passengers stopped the train by pulling the emergency chain.
The court has levied multiple charges against Chaudhary, including under IPC sections 302 (murder) and 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc.), along with relevant provisions of the Railways Act and the Maharashtra Prevention Of Defacement of Property Act.
During the session, Additional Sessions Judge N L More sought a plea from Chaudhary, who initially pleaded guilty but retracted to ‘not guilty’ after consultation with his defense team. His lawyers argued that Chaudhary’s mental health issues, including a brain clot, contributed to the incident, asserting that proper rest could have averted the tragedy.
The defense also contested the applicability of IPC 153A, citing insufficient evidence of any communal statements made by Chaudhary, except for the testimony of one female witness.
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The court has scheduled the next hearing for August 20. Meanwhile, in a brief interaction with the media, Chaudhary’s wife claimed that his health condition impaired his awareness and actions at the time of the incident, advocating for consideration of his mental state in the case.
