A key witness in the July 2023 Mumbai train firing case told a city court on Friday that he saw the accused, former RPF constable Chetan Singh Chaudhary, escort a passenger out of a train coach at gunpoint just before the man was allegedly killed.
According to the PTI, the witness, a bank manager who was travelling on the same Jaipur–Mumbai Central Superfast Express, appeared before Additional Sessions Judge M.H. Pathan at the Dindoshi court. He recounted the events that unfolded in the early hours of July 31, 2023, when Chaudhary allegedly shot and killed four people, including his superior, Assistant Sub-Inspector Tika Ram Meena, and three passengers.
Testifying in court, the witness said he was in coach B2 when, around 5 am, Chaudhary entered the compartment with a rifle and woke a sleeping passenger on the middle berth. The constable then pointed his weapon at the man and ordered him to step out of the coach.
“The RPF person took the passenger out at gunpoint,” he told the court, adding that he later learned the man had been shot dead, along with three others, by the accused constable.
Asked to describe the passenger, the witness said, “He had a beard without a moustache. Based on his appearance, it was clear he belonged to the Muslim community.”
The three civilian victims have been identified as Abdul Kadar Mohamed Hussain Bhanpurawala, Sayyad Saifuddin, and Asgar Abbas Shaikh, all of whom were travelling in separate coaches.
Chaudhary, 41, was arrested by the Government Railway Police (GRP) and has been in judicial custody since. He was dismissed from service following the incident.
During cross-examination by defence lawyer Jaywant Patil, the witness said that he learned about the killings through news reports and from conversations with colleagues.
He had previously identified Chaudhary during a test identification parade at Thane Jail, and again identified him during Friday’s hearing via video conferencing.
Chaudhary faces serious charges under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Section 302 (murder) and Section 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion), as well as relevant provisions under the Railways Act and the Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Property Act.
(With PTI inputs)
