Accused Chetan Singh argues that the FIR filed against him relies on ‘false and bogus’ facts, emphasising his standing as an esteemed individual with no connection to criminal activities.
Team Clarion
MUMBAI — Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable Chetan Singh, implicated in the shooting of three Muslims and a senior police officer aboard the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Superfast Express in July, has filed a bail application with the Dindoshi Sessions Court, invoking a plea of ‘delusional disorder.’
Singh, who allegedly gunned down his victims on the running train, asserts no knowledge of the crime, attributing it to a purported delusional state.
Advocates Amit Mishra and Pankaj Ghildiyal, contesting the case against Singh, contend that the accused belongs to a deprived familial background. They further said that Singh suffered from a lack of love and compassion that led to a ‘deviating mindset.’ Drawing parallels with the Burari mass suicide case in Delhi, they suggested a shared ‘impression of delusional disorder’ akin to the victims in that tragedy, media reports said on Friday.
The lawyers argue that the FIR against Singh was based on ‘false and bogus facts,’ asserting that his status as a respected citizen was untouched by any criminal involvement. The plea cites Singh’s alleged struggle with ‘extreme mental strokes’ and being a ‘partially mental patient/mentally challenged’ suffering from delusional disorder and White Matter Disease, reports said.
The judge has instructed the prosecution to respond to the plea, scheduling the next hearing for December 1. However, the Government Railway Police (GRP) has countered Singh’s claim, asserting in a lengthy chargesheet that the accused was ‘completely sane.’ The chargesheet, exceeding 1,000 pages, relies on over 150 witness depositions and surveillance footage from the train, showing Singh searching for his potential victims.
While the defence insists on Singh’s mental health challenges, the GRP maintains his sanity based on substantial evidence and testimonies of witnesses. The RPF said all troops receive a comprehensive periodic medical checkup once every five years and that Singh’s routine checkup was done around 20 months ago in Bhavnagar, Gujarat. At the time of his mental health screening, Singh was found stable and without any mental illness.