Trial begins with Mumbai court recording statement of first witness – ThePrint – PTIFeed

Mumbai, Nov 11 (PTI) More than 15 months after four people on a Mumbai-bound train were shot dead allegedly by an RPF officer, the hearing of the case began on Monday with a city court recording the statement of the first witness. The weapon used in the crime has been identified.

RPF constable Chetansinh Chaudhary, the sole accused in the case and later suspended, is accused of fatally shooting his superior, Sub-Inspector (ASI) Tika Ram Meena, and three passengers on the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Superfast Express. the train was on the outskirts of the city.

On the opening day of the hearing, the evidence presented by the complainant was recorded before Additional Sessions Judge ML More.

The witness identified the weapon used in the crime during his examination-in-chief (interrogation-in-chief refers to the process of questioning the witness by the party calling him to testify).

According to Chaudhary’s lawyer Jaywant Patil, the witness’s statement was recorded in the absence of the accused as he could not be contacted via video conferencing from the jail due to technical reasons.

The suspended RPF officer is being held in a jail in eastern Maharashtra’s Akola district, about 550 kilometers from Mumbai.

The witness will be cross-examined by defense lawyers on November 27, the next day of the hearing.

Chaudhary has been charged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 302 (murder), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on the basis of religion, race, place of birth, place of residence, language, etc.) and related sections among others. Provisions of the Railways Act and the Maharashtra Prevention of Destruction of Property Act.

The collision took place around 5 am on July 31, 2023, on the moving Jaipur-Mumbai Central Superfast Express, when the train was near Palghar railway station.

Chaudhary (34) was caught with his gun as he tried to escape after passengers pulled the chain of the train stopped near Mira Road station (on Mumbai suburban network).

According to the police, RPF police shot dead ASI Meena and another passenger in bus B5 with his automatic weapon. He then shot at another passenger in the pantry car of the train and another person in the S6 car next to the buffet car, killing both of them. PTI HUNT RSY

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