Two Railway Protection Force (RPF) constables have been dismissed from their service due to their failure to fulfil their duty during the incident on the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Superfast Express last year, as reported by The Indian Express on Sunday.
The incident occurred on July 31 when RPF constable Chetansinh Chaudhary shot and killed Assistant Sub Inspector Tikaram Meena and three Muslim passengers on the moving train. Following this, Chaudhary was dismissed from service by the railways.
In an order issued on Friday, Senior Divisional Security Commissioner SKS Rathor dismissed Constables Amay Acharya and Narendra Parmar for their failure to provide security and protection to the passengers during the incident. The order stated that their actions eroded trust among passengers towards the RPF and sent a wrong message regarding discipline within the force.
Acharya’s dismissal order highlighted that he hid in the washroom of a coach while witnessing Chaudhary removing the rifle’s safety catch, leaving Meena alone with him, ultimately leading to Meena’s death. Parmar’s dismissal order noted that he failed to intervene when Chaudhary took a passenger hostage at gunpoint and subsequently killed him in another coach.
The dismissal orders said that retaining the constables in the force despite their failure to discharge their duty would be detrimental to the RPF.
Chaudhary had been booked under the Indian Penal Code for murder and under the Arms Act. Additional charges of kidnapping and promoting enmity on religious grounds were later added. Witnesses reported that Chaudhary selectively targeted the victims based on their religion and made political remarks during the incident.
The RPF justified the dismissal of Chaudhary without a departmental inquiry, citing the severity of the crime and the need to maintain discipline within the force. Delaying action, it argued, would tarnish the reputation of the force and encourage further indiscipline.
