As authorities scramble resources for probing the train firing incident in which four people were killed by a Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable, it has come to fore that not all the coaches of the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Superfast Express were equipped with CCTV cameras.
The 33-year-old accused, Chetan Singh, fatally shot his senior before killing three other passengers with his automatic service weapon. He first assaulted Assistant Sub-Inspector Tikaram Meena and a traveller in the B-5 coach, the eight compartment from the engine. Subsequently, he proceeded towards the S-6 coach, 14th position from the engine, where he killed two more passengers.
Visuals show Singh in a state of extreme stress and urgency
Singh's movement was captured in CCTV cameras while passing through the B-1 and B-3 coaches which were at 10th and 12th positions from the engine. According to sources, visuals show Singh in a state of extreme stress and urgency. Notably, the crime scenes – B-5 and S-6 – were not under CCTV surveillance.
A senior rail official informed that the installation of CCTV cameras in all coaches of long-distance trains is underway and the initiative is being implemented in phases. Meanwhile, the Government Railway Police (GRP) are minutely scanning the available footage. A senior GRP official said that they have also collected contact details of passengers whom Singh crossed. First priority is to connect with as many passengers as possible, especially those spotted in the CCTV footage, the official added.
Efforts are also underway to reach out to the relatives of the accused, who hail from Uttar Pradesh. “If necessary, a special team will be sent to UP to gather more information about Singh's past,” said a GRP personnel.
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