Priyanka Chaudhary – the wife of dismissed RPF constable Chetansinh Chaudhary who gunned down an RPF assistant and three Muslim passengers on a train while speaking to media persons on Saturday, requested the government to drop the charges of hate crime against her husband and claimed he was not communal. She also claimed her husband was mentally ill.
While talking about her husband’s posting in Ujjain, Priyanka Chaudhary said there were lots of Muslims there but nothing had happened. When asked about a February 2017 incident where Chetan Singh unnecessarily harrassed and assaulted a Muslim person and also faced departmental action, she said there was no truth to the incident. She added that she and her family feared for their lives.She said her husband was mentally ill and had been taking medicine for this since the last two years. Stating that the family is facing a tough time financially, she said her predicament has made it difficult for her to provide a stable govt for her children's upbringing. She has appealed to the government for help, requesting regular assistance and educational support, including the settlement of outstanding fees.
Advocates Amit Mishra and Pankaj Ghildiyal, representing Singh, informed the court that Singh was not mentally sound when he committed the crime. Ghildiyal raised concerns about the lack of a medical examination to determine Singh's mental state. "Being present before the court is the right of the accused," emphasised Mishra. According to the Government Railway Police (GRP), Singh, currently in Akola jail, shows no remorse for his actions and harbours hatred for a particular religion. The investigating officer further stated that after gunning down his superior, Tikaram Meena, with his service weapon, Singh, with a clear mind, specifically targeted passengers of a particular religion. The statement emphasised that granting bail to Singh could lead to doubts about the judicial system and instil fear in passengers belonging to a particular religion.The GRP submitted additional evidence, including a pen drive and forensic examination documents, confirming Singh's presence in CCTV footage and video recordings while kidnapping Sayyed Saifuddin, one of the victims, and moving through the corridors with his rifle. While the court acknowledged the officer's statement, it directed the GRP to produce Singh on December 16, as they had failed to do so on Friday despite the issuance of a production warrant.