Train firing: Dismissed RPF man's bail rejected; was in well settled position, mind, says court
Mumbai, Dec 16: A court here on Saturday denied bail to dismissed Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable Chetan Singh Chaudhary, accused of shooting dead his senior colleague and three passengers on a moving train in July this year, by stating he was in a "well settled position and mind" at the time of crime.
His bail was rejected by Additional Sessions Judge (Dindoshi Court) AZ Khan who held the offence was serious.
Chaudhary not only killed his senior but also three others of a "particular community" by making them specific targets, the court said.
The accused uttered words which clearly show "he was in a well settled position and mind to commit murder of people belonging to a specific community", the court said while rejecting his bail plea.
Chaudhary, who is lodged in a jail in Maharashtra's Akola, about 550 kms from here, was present in the court during the hearing.
In his bail plea, filed last month through advocates Amit Mishra and Pankaj Ghildiyal, the accused said he has been suffering from "haunted illusions of the ghostly world", and doing some weird act.
The police had opposed his plea, saying that he appeared to have harboured "anger and grudge" towards a particular community and showed no remorse for the crime committed.
If his bail is granted, it could create a negative image about the law and also create fear, panic and insecurity among certain religious groups, the Government Railway Police (RPF), which is probing the case, had submitted.
Umesa Khatoon, wife of victim Asgar Shaikh, through her advocates Karim Pathan and Fazlurrahman Shaikh, had also opposed Chaudhary's bail, saying the accused is a "terrorist minded person" and "a threat to national security".
"There is prima facie case of four brutal murders committed by the hatemonger accused witnessed by 39 eyewitnesses and virtually witnessed by the entire nation," the advocates submitted.
The incident took place on July 31 on board the moving Jaipur-Mumbai Central Express near Palghar railway station in Maharashtra.
He shot dead RPF Assistant Sub-Inspector Tika Ram Meena and another passenger in B5 coach with his automatic weapon. He then shot dead another passenger in a pantry car and one more passenger in S6 coach next to the pantry car after 5 am.
Chaudhary (34) was later nabbed with his weapon while trying to flee after passengers pulled the chain of the train and got it to halt at Mira Road.
In October, the police filed a chargesheet against Chaudhary.
He has been booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 302 (murder), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc) and others, as well as relevant provisions of Railways Act and Maharashtra Prevention Of Defacement of Property Act.
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Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
