Killings on the Jaipur-Mumbai train: Man who pulled chain says former RPF cop pointed gun at him, wife

The 53-year-old told court that he, along with his wife and two children, was on the Jaipur-Mumbai superfast express train and they had reserved seats in the S-5 coach.

“I was sitting on the side lower berth near the door, when a woman came in our coach. She shouted to ask if anyone was there. So I asked what happened. She replied, ‘maar daala, maar daala’. I asked her if someone had died. She replied angrily, ‘goli marega toh marega hi na’ (if someone has shot a bullet, then the person will die right?),” the witness told the court, recalling the incident which happened on on July 31, 2023.

He said that then he saw an RPF constable enter the coach, holding a machine gun. The witness said that he went and stood by his wife’s side.

The passenger told the court that the RPF constable came close to them and was looking at them, and pointed the gun at them. The passenger told the court that his wife was wearing a burqa.

The witness passenger further told the court that he asked the policeman what he was doing and shouted, after which other passengers too began shouting, after which the policeman moved back.

The witness said that he quickly pulled the alarm chain and the train stopped.

The prosecution claimed that the train had stopped between Dahisar and Mira Road stations and Chaudhary had alighted when the train stopped.

The witness told the court that somebody closed the door. After a while, a person, later identified to be a train guard, came to the coach with another RPF policeman.

The witness said that they asked the passengers who had pulled the chain, and he narrated the whole incident.

The train then reached Borivali and he alighted from it, the witness told court.

He further said that many police personnel gathered at the platform and he came to know that four persons were killed. He identified Chaudhary, who was present in court, as the person who had pointed the gun at him.

During cross-examination on behalf of Chaudhary, the witness denied that he had identified him because he had seen his photographs in the news.

Chaudhary is facing trial for allegedly killing his senior, Assistant Sub Inspector Tikaram Meena and three Muslim passengers — Asgar Ali Abbas, Abdul Kader Bhanpurwala and Syed Saifuddin.