Mental Health Controversy: Train Shooter's Case Takes a Turn

Chetansinh Chaudhary, a dismissed RPF constable accused of killing four on a train, is the focus of a court debate over his mental health. He has been diagnosed with a mental disorder, but a lawyer for the victims argues he is fit. The court's decision is pending.

The case of Chetansinh Chaudhary, a dismissed Railway Protection Force constable accused of a horrific shooting on a train, has taken a new turn as debates over his mental health surface in court. Chaudhary, who allegedly killed his senior colleague and three passengers, is reportedly suffering from a mental disorder that requires further treatment in a Nagpur hospital, according to authorities at the Maharashtra jail where he is held.

Chaudhary has been under judicial custody since the incident occurred on the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Superfast Express near Palghar station on July 31, 2023. Despite claims from medical officers of his illness, a lawyer representing the victims, Fazlurrahman Shaikh, insists that Chaudhary is medically fit, as no abnormality was cited in the charge-sheet. The lawyer called for rejection of the jail's request to transfer Chaudhary for medical treatment.

Meanwhile, the prosecution suggests a transfer to a mental hospital in Thane for trial convenience. As the sessions court contemplates its ruling, Chaudhary remains charged under serious sections of the Indian Penal Code and related acts for his alleged heinous actions during the train journey.

(With inputs from agencies.)