A passenger-shot video of the shooting incident on a moving train involving Railway Protection Force Officer Chetan Singh from July 31 showed the shooter warning the onlookers:
“Pakistan se operate hue hain, tumhari media, yahi media coverage dikha rahi hai, pata chal raha hai unko, sab pata chal raha hai, inke aaqa hai wahan… Agar vote dena hai, agar Hindustan me rehna hai, toh mai kehta hoon, Modi aur Yogi, ye do hain, aur aapke Thackeray.”
(Your media is operated from Pakistan, this is what the media is showing, they know everything, their leaders are there… if you have to stay in India, I say vote for Modi, Yogi and Thackerey.)
According to sources within Western Railways who spoke to The Indian Express, the violent episode ensued after a heated argument spiralled into communal discord. The viral video allegedly shows Chetan Singh speaking with passengers, his conversation backdrop being the bloodied body of a man named Asghar. In the video, Singh can be heard uttering the controversial statement.
The Hindustan Times has reported that the passengers who were killed by Singh had beards. Following Asghar's death, Singh is said to have set his weapon aside, initiating a brief tirade against Muslims and urging passengers to record his words for media broadcast.
Inspector General and Principal Chief Security Commissioner of Western Railways, P.C. Sinha stated, "Constable Chetan Singh is a mental health patient."
Singh's uncle, in an interview with The Quint, proposed that the ongoing harassment from his colleagues, combined with an unfulfilled transfer request, could have provoked Singh's violent reaction.
Nevertheless, the video's veracity is yet to be verified. Western Railway spokesperson Sumit Thakur cautioned in his statement, “Its location and authenticity cannot be established. It can also be morphed. The matter is under investigation.”
On July 31, four people were shot dead by Chetan Singh, an RPF Officer in a train heading towards Maharashtra. Among the victims there was another RPF Officer who was a senior to Chetan Singh.
