Mumbai: RPF constable Chetan Singh Choudhary, who shot dead four people, including his senior officer, with his service weapon aboard the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Superfast Express in July, wanted to express regret for his actions and even contemplated suicide, as stated by his wife in her statement given to the police.
Chetan's wife, Priyanka, had her statement recorded by the investigating team on August 5. She recounted that immediately after the incident, he called her. In that call, Chetan admitted to committing a grave mistake, saying, "Maine teen logo ko aur SI ko maar diya hai. Mujhse badi galti ho gayi hai. Bachchon ko achche se padhana. Tum bolo, to main apne aap ko goli maar du?"
Tragic shooting spree
On July 31, Chetan shot three passengers and his superior while on board the moving Jaipur-Mumbai Central Express near Palghar railway station. He was apprehended with his weapon as he attempted to flee after passengers pulled the train's emergency chain, causing it to stop near Mira Road station. He first shot and killed RPF Assistant Sub-Inspector Tika Ram Meena and another passenger in the B5 coach with his automatic weapon. Later, he shot and killed another passenger in the pantry car and one more passenger in the S6 coach next to the pantry car after 5 AM.
The family's perspective: The family claimed that he was disturbed because he was transferred to the Mumbai division from Porbandar in April, whereas he had requested a transfer either to Mathura or Agra, which were closer to his family.
Concerns over Chetan's mental state
Priyanka's account: In her statement, Priyanka claimed that after returning from Porbandar, her mother-in-law remarked that she found Chetan's behavior very abnormal. Her mother-in-law said that Chetan would randomly start blabbering and even bang his head against the wall. Priyanka mentioned that her mother-in-law also found Chetan's behavior improper when they went to see his superior officials to request a transfer to Mathura or Agra.
When Chetan went on leave to Mathura in April, the family consulted a neurosurgeon who diagnosed him with a tumor in his head. The doctor initially prescribed medication that helped him, so the doctor continued the same treatment.
Unraveling Chetan's history
Chetan's uncle claimed that he was a quiet person. They mentioned that he was not a bright student but excelled in football. The family also claimed that Chetan had played at the national level for the Railway school team. However, Chetan's uncle said that seven years ago, during his visit to his native place in UP, he had fallen down the stairs and sustained head injuries, which left him unconscious for some time. The uncle added that Chetan was subsequently taken to several senior doctors for treatment. The family claimed they were clueless about why he committed the act.
In contrast, the police alleged that Chetan did it with the intention of creating enmity between two religious groups. The police claimed that after killing four people, Chetan also attempted to harm a woman and threatened her, demanding that she chant "jai Mataji" or face dire consequences.
