A sessions court in Mumbai’s Dindoshi has directed the prosecution and the lawyer for dismissed Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable Chetansingh Choudhary to respond to a letter from the Akola Prison authorities concerning the accused’s mental health. Choudhary is charged with the killing of four people on a train in 2023.

The letter from the prison said that Choudhary, 35, is suffering from a mental disorder and should be transferred to a hospital in Nagpur for further treatment. On December 19, 2024, Choudhary was taken to the district hospital in Akola after complaining of feeling unwell.

A medical officer at the government hospital observed symptoms of mental illness in Choudhary, according to the letter. The officer recommended that Choudhary be shifted to the Regional Mental Hospital in Nagpur for further care.

Choudhary is currently held at Akola Prison, approximately 570 kilometres from the trial court. He was initially lodged in Thane Prison near Mumbai but was transferred to Akola several months before the filing of the chargesheet. While he has been brought to court for critical legal procedures, he was absent during the last few hearings.

Choudhary is accused of fatally shooting Assistant Sub-Inspector Tika Ram Meena and three passengers aboard the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Superfast Express near Palghar station on July 31, 2023. He allegedly used his service weapon in the attack and was arrested shortly thereafter.

The accused faces charges under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 302 (murder) and 153-A (promoting enmity between groups), as well as provisions of the Railways Act and the Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Property Act.

Advocate Fazlurrahman Shaikh, representing the victims, opposed the prison’s request for Choudhary’s transfer, saying that there was no evidence of medical issues in the chargesheet. “The accused is absolutely fit and has no mental health problems,” Shaikh said, citing a medical report. He urged the court to reject the prison’s letter.

The prosecution suggested that Choudhary could instead be shifted to a mental health facility in Thane, which would be more convenient for trial proceedings.

Choudhary, who was dismissed from the RPF following his arrest, was arrested as he attempted to flee after passengers stopped the train by pulling the emergency chain. According to investigators, he first shot Meena and a passenger in one coach before targeting two others in separate parts of the train.

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