Mumbai: The Taloja prison has refused to accept dismissed RPF constable Chetansingh Chaudhary, citing overcrowding and lack of adequate staff to escort him to and from court hearings.

The prison authorities responded to the plea filed by Chaudhary's lawyers for his transfer to prison in Mumbai from Akola jail, so that he can be brought to court and lawyers can also meet him for instructions. The court had sought the prison authority's reply on his plea.

In its reply on Friday, the Taloja prison authorities expressed its inability to house Chaudhary. Besides, they said, that the capacity of the jail is to keep around 1,900 undertrial prisoners, but at present 2,800 such prisoners are housed there. Further, a structural audit of the prison is going on and one portion of the prison is also under repairs. Hence, they claimed that there is already a space crunch.

Presently, the case against Chaudhary is conducted by the sessions court, Dindoshi. On Friday, the prosecution was to examine the station master but due to confusion oversized articles and its labeling on it, the prosecution sought time to sort things out.

As per the prosecution case, on July 31, last year, Chaudhary shot three passengers and his superior on board the moving Jaipur-Mumbai Central Express near Palghar railway station. He was nabbed with his weapon later while trying to flee after passengers pulled the chain of the train which stopped near Mira Road station.

He first shot dead RPF Assistant Sub-Inspector Tika Ram Meena and another passenger in B5 coach with his automatic weapon. Later he shot dead another passenger in a pantry car and one more passenger in S6 coach next to the pantry car after 5.00am.

The family has claimed that he was disturbed as he was transferred to Mumbai division from Porbandar in April, last year, whereas he had sought for transfer either at Mathura or Agra.