Railway cop who shot 4 people on Jaipur-Mumbai train, sent for mental health check-up over killings

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) staff who killed four people on a Jaipur-Mumbai train on Monday has been sent for a mental health assessment, government officials said on Tuesday, ruling out any communal angle to the incident. Chetan Singh, 33, killed his senior and shot dead three more passengers on the Jaipur-Mumbai Central superfast express. He was arrested while trying to escape. A “comprehensive mental and psychological health assessment” of the RPF personnel is being carried out, Railway Ministry officials said. They have ruled out the communal angle – brought about by videos and posts on social media – and pointed out that the accused had also shot Hindus, including his own superior officer. Four RPF personnel, including Chetan Singh and Tikaram Meena, boarded the train at Surat in Gujarat as part of an escort group posted on long-distance trains to protect passengers and cargo. According to eyewitnesses, Singh, who appeared to be agitated, lost his temper and simply shot his senior. He then went from coach to coach shooting three more, including Ajgar Abbas Shaikh, 48, and Abdul Kadarbhai Mohammed Hussain Bhanpurwala, 62. Singh had shown signs of poor health in the morning, after which he was asked to rest, officials said. He took rest for a while and then insisted he was fine, after which he resumed duty. The Railway Ministry said it would look into the incident thoroughly after the medical report was released. Constable Chetan Singh’s family described him as short-tempered and hot-headed. The Western Railways has said they are conducting a high-level investigation. Singh was posted in Lower Parel, they said.