Train gun attack: Muslim family to leave India after father's killing

The son of a man murdered during a deadly gun attack in India on a moving train said his family wants to leave India, as the country is no longer safe for them.

The incident that left people traumatised after its video began surfacing online is being termed as a hate crime after attacker Chetan Singh, a Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable, shot his senior and three visibly-Muslim men in different coaches of the Jaipur-to-Mumbai Superfast Express.

Singh was seen praising Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in videos that have been widely shared on X — the social media platform, formerly known as Twitter — while holding his gun in one hand and standing next to a body covered in blood.

"This incident has shattered our lives. We will take with us our mother to Dubai and don't intend to move back anymore. It's just not safe," said Hussain Bhanpurwala, the son of victim Kadar Bhanpurwala as quoted by the Times of India. 

Hussain also expressed disappointment with the investigations led by the authorities, as they failed to find the motive behind the killings by Singh.

"I have so many questions. Reports say that Singh had an argument with his senior over not being relieved from duty. The police have no explanation as to why were my father and two passengers from different coaches killed. If Singh was mentally ill as he claims, how did he only target bearded passengers?" Hussain questioned Singh's motives at the court.

The victim's son met investigators working on the case on four different occasions, but has failed to get any satisfactory responses from him. However, he is now trying to reach out to other passengers to find out what happened during his father's ill-fated journey.

Both Hussain and his brother work in Dubai, while their parents lived in India. Their father, Kadar, had a well-established business of baby products. 

But now, the family is resolute to leave India due to concerns for their safety.

"Political leaders from non-[Bharatiya Janata Party] BJP ruling states have reached out to us offering support but the BJP-ruled Maharashtra government is silent. What do we make of this?" Hussain questioned the hypocrisy of the government.

The son now only wants to seek justice for his father and make sure Singh remains behind bars forever. "I have engaged a lawyer to assist the public prosecutor with arguments."