In the trial against Chetansinh Chaudhary, the dismissed RPF constable booked for four murders on a train in 2023, one of the witnesses, an Army personnel, told a court here Thursday that he had seen the constable fire bullets at his senior colleague.
Chaudhary is facing trial before the Dindoshi sessions court on charges including murder, that of his senior assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Tikaram Meena and three Muslim passengers on a Jaipur-Mumbai train on July 31.
On Thursday, an Army personnel, who was returning from his hometown in the train on the day of incident, deposed as an eyewitness.
He told the court that at that time, he was posted at the Army headquarters in Mumbai and was on his way back to Mumbai.
On July 31, when he woke up around 4 am, he saw three personnel of the Railway Protection Force (RPF), having a conversation. He identified that while two of them were constables, one was a sub-inspector.
The Army man told the court that he heard the senior RPF officer trying to convince the constable.
The senior was also seen telling the other constable to make their colleague understand.
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The police claim that Chaudhary was insistent that he wants to alight from the train, claiming that he was not feeling well.
The police claim that Meena had told Chaudhary that he could rest on the train itself and since Mumbai was not far, he could alight once the train reached the city.
However, Chaudhary had shot at Meena and then identified three other passengers based on their appearances, and shot them, before a passenger pulled the chain to stop the train, and Chaudhary escaped, police said.
The witness told the court that he then went to the washroom and while returning again saw the ASI and the constable, both with their respective service weapons, standing near each other.
The witness said that he also had a conversation with the ASI, and informed him that he was in the Army.
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The witness told court that the ASI was trying to explain to the constable that he just needs to wait for a while, as Mumbai was approaching soon.
He said that he also heard them speak on the phone with a senior officer, while the ASI was trying to pacify the constable.
“Thereafter, the constable was silent for a while. I was checking my phone. The constable was moving in the passageway. Then, I saw that the constable suddenly fired bullets at the ASI with his rifle,” the witness said.
The Army man said that he saw some fumes coming out of the rifle, and the ASI was bleeding. The witness told the court that he ran towards another coach, shouting “goli maar di, udhar nahi jaana(A bullet has been fired, don’t go there)”.
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He told the court that all the passengers were frightened, and he was also shocked and for a while.
The witness said that when the train reached Borivali, he went to his coach again to take his luggage, and had seen the ASI lying in a pool of blood.
The witness identified Chaudhary as the constable who had shot 2-3 rounds at the ASI.
Chaudhary was produced via video-conference from Thane jail. He told the court that his statement was recorded in September at his hometown, where he was posted at that time.
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The witness’ cross-examination will continue on Friday. So far in the trial, which began in November 2024, 12 witnesses have deposed, including a few eyewitness passengers.
