The Maharastra wing of the civil rights group, the People’s Union for Civil Liberties is shocked by the ghastly hate killings by RPF constable Chetan Singh of his superior officer RPF Assistant Sub-Inspector Tika Ram Meena and three Muslim passengers Abdul Qadir bhai Mohammed Hussain Bhanpurwala, Asgar Abbas Ali and Sayed Saifullah, onboard the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Express on July 31, 2023. “Increasing hate propaganda is hurtling the Indian society down such a dangerous path, that even a police officer from Railway Protection Force (RPF) is influenced enough by communal hate to carry out killings of Muslim men, identifying them by clothes and beards, inside a train”, states PUCL’s statement.  

In a chilling case that has shaken the public consciousness, RPF constable Chetan Singh, 33 years old, shot dead his superior RPF Assistant Sub-Inspector Tika Ram Meena (58), from Sawai Madhavpur, Rajasthan and three passengers – Abdul Qadir bhai Mohammed Hussain Bhanpurwala (64) from Nalasopara in Palghar, Asgar Abbas Ali (48) from Madhubani Bihar, and Sayed Saifullah (43) from Hyderabad, using his automatic weapon, while on duty, on the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Express on July 31, 2023, around 5 a.m.[1], [2] All three Muslim passengers had beards clearly identifying their religion. RPF constable Chetan Singh went to different coaches, B5, B2, PC, and S-6 looking for Muslim victims and killing them. He walked from B5 (where he killed Mr Meena and Mr Bhanpurwala) to the B2 compartment and asked Mr Saifulla his name. As soon as he gave his name, he was taken at gunpoint by RPF Constable Singh to the pantry car and shot. Thereafter he travelled to compartments S8 and S7 without hurting anyone. In the S6 compartment, he shot dead Mr Asghar Abbas Ali. RPF constable Singh, who was on escort duty, fired 12 rounds from his automatic service rifle and was finally nabbed when he was trying to flee along with his automatic service rifle.

In a video shot by a fellow passenger, the shooter Chetan Singh can be seen holding his gun and delivering an Islamophobic rant, inter alia saying 

“ Pakistan se operate hue ye, aur media yehi coverage dikha rahi hai, unko sab pata chal raha hai ye kya kar rahe hain… Agar vote dena hai, agar Hindustan mein rehna hai to mai kehta hoon Modi aur Yogi, ye do hain.” 

 “They operate from Pakistan, and media is showing this. They all know, what they are doing. If you want to vote, if you want to stay in India, then I am telling you only two are there, Modi and Yogi”

“The video indicates his deep hate and motivation to murder the Muslim victims and the role that propaganda spread through media has had in influencing and instigating his hate sentiments and heinous actions”, PUCL states. 

An FIR was registered under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), sections 3, 25, 27 of the Arms Act and sections 151, 152, and 153 of the Railway Act.  Both the FIR and remand order did not make mention of the video referred to above and his selective killing of Muslim passengers.[3] They also did not include the offences attracted on account of his hate speech and action. It has been reported that during the remand hearing before the Borivali Court on August 1, 2023, where the accused RPF officer Chetan Singh was produced and remanded to police custody until August 7, 2023, the prosecution while asking for remand stated that the accused was mentally unfit[4]. The Railway, however, released a press statement on August 2, 2023, that no mental ailment was detected in the last periodic medical examination of the RPF constable Chetan Singh. They withdrew it later.^[5] However, it was subsequently reported that having confirmed the authenticity of the video, the Government Railway Police (GRP) would be adding the offence of promoting hate and enmity, being section 153A of the IPC, when the accused is produced for the remand hearing on August 7, 2023^[6]. In the latest reports out today, this appears to have been done and the accused has been remanded to police custody until August 11, 2023^[7].

The Indian Express news report states that as per Western Railway RPF records, the accused RPF constable Singh had against him complaints of “insubordination” while he was posted in Ujjain over five years ago and that his colleagues had complained of misbehaviour and indiscipline. It is also reported that at the time of the crime, no inquiry was pending against him. In any case, the complaints against him in no manner support the narrative sought to be created that he is mentally unstable and if anything, shows his preexisting disposition to misbehaviour. In fact, his superiors continued to trust him with his weapon, which clearly indicates that he was expected to be acting in full thinking capacity.

The accused RPF constable Singh specifically searched for and selected Muslim victims for the cold-blooded execution and not the other non-Muslim passengers. He conveyed his motivations through his hate tirade captured on video. “It was hence completely shocking to read reports that the prosecution made a statement at the remand hearing that the accused was mentally unstable without any basis rather than prosecuting this as a hate crime. This would amount to a subversion of law, as hate is a known motive in many cases of grave crimes such as murder. It is entirely mischievous to even suggest that harbouring hate is akin to mental instability. Any attempt to do this would constitute an abuse of the process of law and would set a dangerous precedent. Moreover, it would deny accountability and justice to the families of the victims of this ghastly crime, which must be ensured at all costs”, asserts PUCL’s statement.

This incident of multiple hate killings by a public official entrusted with the security of citizens, while on duty, raises critical questions.

“The most important one is the extent of the influence that the unchecked communal hate propaganda has had on the minds of the public, including police officers who are entrusted with the serious responsibility of maintaining law and order in the country. So much so that even accused RPF constable Chetan Singh got influenced by the hate propaganda against Muslims to such an extent that he handpicked and killed completely innocent persons from the Muslim community, only because of their religion” PUCL

The current situation in Manipur where multiple reports are emerging of the complicity of the police, including where police officers allegedly led the women victims of sexual assault to the mobs^[8], is another indication of the danger faced by the Nation in terms of communal influence operating amongst the police and security forces. Incidents such as this have been reported in other parts of the country, with allegations of the police standing spectator to mob lynchings, protecting perpetrators indulging in communal violence and also harassing families of victims in cases of hate crimes. It is not surprising that the police and security forces get influenced by the overall communal atmosphere in the country it becomes alarming because they are the ones who are bearers of arms and in charge of maintaining public order. 

PUCL asserts, “This crime has dire implications for Maharashtra. Since November 2022, Maharashtra, like several other states in the country, has witnessed rallies and public demonstrations organized by extremist Hinduvta groups filled with hateful, provocative and inciteful speeches against minorities, using false propaganda and communal narratives, and calling for economic boycott and violence against Muslims”. Several civil society groups including PUCL Maharashtra[9] have issued letters to the Director General of Police, Maharashtra and concerned Commissioners / Superintendents of Police to take preventive action against hate speech at the rallies and also prosecute the offenders. Numerous complaints have also been filed at the jurisdictional police stations for hate speech offences committed at these events. However, the perpetrators have not been arrested to date and groups/individuals repeatedly indulging in hate speech are allowed to continue holding events and spreading the hatred.

The Supreme Court of India has passed orders from time to time to curb the menace of hate speech including orders dated 13th January 2023, 3rd February 2023 and 28th April 2023[10], however inciteful hate speech and communal propaganda have been allowed to continue. It is no coincidence that the increasing incidents of mob lynchings and hate crimes against Muslims, communal violence during festivals and other communally charged subjects, are preceded and incited by an atmosphere of hate created by the uncurbed hate speech and communal propaganda.

^[1] https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jaipur-mumbai-train-shooting-8870583/

^[2] https://indianexpress.com/article/india/rpf-man-held-for-killing-4th-victim-a-hyderabad-resident-mla-says-identified-by-religion-8872120/

^[3] https://thewire.in/law/police-focuses-on-rpf-constables-mental-illness-erases-mention-of-possible-hate-crime-from-fir

^[4] https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/rpf-constable-chetan-singh-accused-of-killing-four-remanded-in-police-custody-till-aug-7/article67145481.ece

^[5] https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jaipur-mumbai-train-shooting-railways-withdraws-statement-mental-condition-accused-rpf-constable-8873695/

^[6] https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/rpf-cop-to-face-charge-of-communal-discord-too/articleshow/102435292.cms?from=mdr

^[7] https://m.economictimes.com/news/india/train-firing-accused-rpf-constables-police-custody-extended-till-aug-11/articleshow/102496471.cms

^[8] https://indianexpress.com/article/india/manipur-sexual-assault-mob-video-women-police-8849995/

^[9] https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/what-action-has-been-taken-on-hate-speech-incidents-pucl-asks-maharashtra-dgp/article66826928.ece

^[10] https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/act-swiftly-against-hate-speech-or-face-contempt-supreme-court-tells-states/articleshow/99854337.cms?from=mdr