Mumbai: Chetan Singh Chaudhary, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable who shot dead four persons, including his senior, on the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Central Express on July 31, 2023, is now fit to face trial, the Mental Health Review Board (MHRB) in Thane, Maharashtra, has informed the court.
In December 2023, Akola prison authorities reported that Chaudhary’s mental condition had deteriorated and sought his transfer to Nashik Mental Hospital. However, the court directed his relocation to Thane Central Jail and instructed the Thane Mental Hospital to assess his condition. He was shifted there on February 20 this year after complaints of erratic behaviour and lack of cooperation.
A report submitted last month noted that on April 9, the MHRB found him unfit for discharge. However, his latest evaluation records major improvement: he is now cooperative, communicative, oriented, with improved behaviour, regular routine, and stable sleep and appetite. The board had initially reserved its final opinion pending MRI and angiography reports.
After receiving the MHRB report, the sessions court asked public prosecutor Sudhir Sapkale whether the trial could now proceed and if a production warrant should be issued. However, defence lawyer Jaywant Patil requested time to consult Chaudhary’s family before moving forward.
“The board informed the court via email on Tuesday that Chaudhary is now fit. The prosecution also confirmed he is no longer under treatment. But we want to verify his condition personally before the case proceeds,” Patil said.
The MHRB clarified that at the time of admission, he had been referred to J J Hospital’s neurology department, where MRI scans detected multiple microinfarcts in his brain. The court will decide the next steps at the hearing scheduled for July 17.
in a crime that shook the nation, Chaudhary shot dead RPF assistant sub-inspector Tika Ram Meena and three passengers aboard the train near Palghar. He killed two victims in the B5 coach, another in the pantry car, and the fourth in the S6 coach next to it. He was caught with his weapon after passengers pulled the emergency chain, halting the train near Mira Road station.
