Mumbai Court Orders Mental Health Evaluation for Railway Firing Accused
Court sends accused railway shooter to mental hospital for evaluation.
A Mumbai court has ordered the transfer of former Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable Chetan Singh Choudhary to the Thane Mental Hospital for further evaluation of his mental health, as he faces trial for allegedly killing four people on a train in 2023. The court directed prison authorities to submit periodic reports on his condition, including a “specific opinion as to whether he is fit to stand trial.”
Choudhary had previously been admitted to the Regional Mental Hospital in Thane between February 20, 2025, and July 12, 2025, for mental health assessment. According to a medical report submitted by Thane jail in January 2026, the accused was “hemodynamically stable” during an examination conducted on December 18, 2025. The report noted that his physical vitals, including blood pressure, were within normal limits, and no immediate abnormalities were detected in his central nervous system.
The court’s latest directive, issued by Additional Sessions Judge Pravin Chatur, comes in response to a bail plea filed by Choudhary citing his mental health condition. Through his lawyers, Amit Mishra and Pankaj Ghildiyal, the accused claimed he suffers from “white matter disease.” While the bail plea has not yet been decided, the court ordered the jail superintendent to ensure Choudhary’s admission to Thane Mental Hospital for “better management, care, and treatment” until further notice.
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The court also instructed the hospital’s medical officer to submit reports every 15 days on Choudhary’s treatment and mental health status. The reports are expected to include a “specific opinion as to whether he is fit or unfit to stand trial and capable of conducting his defence,” a crucial factor in the continuation of the proceedings.
Choudhary is accused of fatally shooting his senior colleague, RPF Assistant Sub-Inspector Tika Ram Meena, along with three passengers, aboard the Jaipur-Mumbai Central Superfast Express near Palghar railway station in Maharashtra on July 31, 2023. The attack ended when passengers pulled the train’s chain, bringing it to a halt near Mira Road station, after which Choudhary attempted to flee but was apprehended with his firearm.
The trial is currently underway, with witness testimony being recorded. Legal observers note that the mental health assessment could significantly influence both Choudhary’s ability to stand trial and the broader course of judicial proceedings in this high-profile case.
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