Indian Army soldier Jigar Chaudhary, 28, was brutally murdered aboard the Jammu Tawi-Sabarmati Express on November 2 after a petty dispute over a blanket and bedsheet escalated into fatal violence in Rajasthan’s moving B4 AC coach. The soldier, on authorized leave and heading home to Gujarat from Firozpur, Punjab, requested standard-issue linen from attendant Zubair Memon—only to be met with refusal, sparking a heated argument that turned deadly when Memon allegedly plunged a knife into Chaudhary’s leg, severing a major artery and causing instant death from massive blood loss.

The Government Railway Police in Bikaner swiftly registered an FIR under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for murder after the train halted, with the traveling ticket examiner lodging the complaint. Authorities recovered the bloodied knife and arrested Memon, a contract-hired attendant immediately sacked by Railways. The incident has exposed glaring gaps in passenger safety protocols and the vetting of outsourced staff, raising urgent questions about armed personnel on trains.

The National Human Rights Commission swung into action after a complaint by the Sahyadri Rights Forum, issuing stern notices to the Railway Board Chairman and RPF Director General. The NHRC bench, led by Priyank Kanoongo, demanded a full probe into Memon’s appointment, qualifications, training, and police verification—ordering a detailed action-taken report within two weeks. The Commission labeled the killing a “serious human rights violation” and vowed strict punishment and compensation for the soldier’s family.

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As outrage spreads across military circles and social media, the Railways face mounting pressure to overhaul contractor hiring and ensure armed security in sleeper coaches. Chaudhary’s grieving family in Sabarmati awaits justice, while the NHRC’s intervention signals zero tolerance for such lapses. The case has reignited debates on the safety of uniformed personnel traveling on civilian transport.

With investigations intensifying, this tragedy underscores a chilling reality, a routine journey home turned into a battlefield over a blanket—claiming the life of a man who served the nation. The NHRC’s push for accountability may set a precedent for stricter oversight of railway outsourcing and passenger protection.

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