September 11, 2025

Mumbai: The courtroom drama heats up as the trial of dismissed RPF constable Chetan Singh—accused of a shocking quadruple murder—rolls on. On Tuesday, a key witness, a Muslim businessman travelling with his wife and two children, told the court about a terrifying moment on the Jaipur-Mumbai Superfast Express. The witness recalled, "He (Singh) came closer to us and was looking at us, he pointed his gun at us. He looked at my wife, she was wearing a burqa… I asked him what happened and what was he doing. After hearing me shout other passengers shouted too… he moved back." Imagine the heart-pounding fear as Singh aimed his service rifle at an innocent family! Once Singh stepped back, the quick-thinking witness pulled the train's emergency chain, which brought the train to a stop and ended the horrifying spree. "Therefore, the train stopped and somebody said he (Singh) alighted from the train… then somebody closed the door and we felt secure…The train started moving," the witness said, his voice still calm despite the trauma. This 53-year-old man confidently identified Singh, who sat unfazed in the courtroom, and also pointed out the exact rifle used in the crime. So far, six witnesses have stepped forward to paint a terrifying picture of that blood-soaked day. On July 31, 2023, Singh allegedly opened fire with his service rifle, killing four innocent people on the train. His brutal spree began by shooting his senior officer, ASI Tikaram Meena, in the B5 compartment. He then killed passenger Kadar Bhanpurwala in the same coach, followed by Syed Saifuddin, whom he forced at gunpoint all the way to the pantry car before shooting him. Singh’s rampage ended when he shot Asghar Shaikh in coach S6 and then gave a hate-filled speech next to the bloody crime scene. The Muslim businessman and his family were returning from a pilgrimage when this nightmare unfolded. He also recalled a woman running into his coach screaming for help right before the horror began. The woman told him, "somebody killed someone." When he asked if anyone had died, she angrily snapped, "agar goli maarega toh marega hi na (if he shoots, someone will die)." The witness later saw Singh enter their coach gripping his machine gun, advancing toward his family. After the train stopped at Borivali, the witness rushed out to find police gathered on the platform. "I saw many police personnel were gathered at the platform. Then I came to know three-four were killed in the train. We were in tension so we took our bags and went away… the police recorded my statement on Aug 5, 2023," he said. During cross-examination, the witness firmly denied that he identified Singh from news photos and confirmed that the rifle and travel tickets matched his journey. The sensational trial promises more gripping revelations when it resumes on September 15.

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Tags: Chetan singh, Rpf constable, Quadruple murder, Jaipur-mumbai superfast express, Train shooting, Trial witness,