Haryana Serial Killer Arrested in Gujarat for Rape and Murder of Teen, Linked to Four Train Murders

Haryana (The Uttam Hindu): The Gujarat Police nabbed a 29-year-old serial killer from Haryana, who was involved in the murders of four people on trains in four states, for raping and murdering a 19-year-old teen in Valsad district, police said. Rahul Singh Jat, a native of Haryana's Rohtak, was arrested on November 24 at Vapi railway station as part of an investigation that began after the teen's body was found near the tracks close to Udvada railway station on November 14. Police said the victim was returning home from tuition in the evening that day when she was attacked from behind, raped and murdered.

Valsad Superintendent of Police (SP) Karanraj Vaghela stated that the t-shirt and bag left by Jat at the crime scene were crucial pieces of evidence for the police. "Surveillance footage provided a clear image of the suspect, which was later confirmed by an official from Surat's Lajpore Central Jail as Rahul Jat," he said, noting that Jat had committed the crime after being released from jail earlier this year in connection with a case. "Jat was apprehended on Sunday night in the parking lot of Vapi railway station in Valsad during a joint operation by local and railway police. He had been moving frequently and changing his locations. Investigations revealed that he is linked to at least four cases of robbery and murder on trains and at railway stations across Karnataka, West Bengal, Telangana, and Maharashtra," the SP stated. The SP told that the serial killer had looted and killed a woman on a train near Secunderabad railway station in Telangana a day before his arrest. He also mentioned that Jat moved around frequently and constantly changed his whereabouts.

Noticing the previous crimes accused had committed, the police official said, "Only a day before his arrest, he also looted a woman and murdered her on a train near Secunderabad railway station. In October, he had raped and murdered a woman on a train near Solapur railway station in Maharashtra. He fatally stabbed an elderly man on a Katihar Express train near Howrah railway station in West Bengal. He is also suspected of killing a train passenger in Mulki, Karnataka." He was apprehended following an extensive search operation involving police teams from Haryana, Rajasthan, and Karnataka, as well as the review of footage from 2,000 CCTV cameras in Vapi, Valsad, Surat, and Udvada, the SP added.

According to the police, Jat would rob individuals when he found them alone and target women for rape, particularly in coaches designated for differently-abled passengers. They also noted that capturing him was challenging as he kept changing locations and often slept at railway stations or on trains. "Jat traveled by train, committing robberies and murders along the way. Over the past year, he had visited Surat, Valsad, and Vapi four to five times. He came to these locations to collect his salary from a hotel where he was employed." He raped and murdered the 19-year-old girl during this visit," the SP said. SP Vaghela stated that Jat had over twelve criminal cases registered against him in Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, and he admitted to committing five murders within a month.

The SP also noted that the serial killer had been imprisoned in 2018-19 and 2024 for offenses related to truck theft and illegal arms smuggling in Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.He raped and murdered the Valsad teen after being released from jail, police said. "The major breakthrough for Valsad Police came when, during a thorough interrogation, the accused confessed to having committed four additional murders," said SP Vaghela. Jat, who only completed up to Class 5, had been engaged in theft and criminal activities from a young age. His family, disturbed by his behavior, had severed all ties with him.