On Tuesday night in Mumbai, 22-year-old Mayank Lohar had just finished work and was heading home to Virar. When he boarded a local train from Andheri, little did he know that he would be stabbed multiple times by the time his train reached Borivali.
Police say the accident was caused by a dispute over whether the train door should remain open during heavy rain.
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Routine trip home
Mayank Lohar worked as a salesman at the Westside store in Andheri West. After completing his shift, he boarded the Churchgate-Nalasopara local express from Andheri station at 10:42 pm, HT reported earlier.
It was also Tuesday when the monsoon reached Mumbai. Heavy rain fell on parts of the city, and passengers crowded into train compartments as they returned to their homes.
According to investigators, Lohar found himself standing near the entrance of a crowded first-class bus. Another passenger, later identified as 30-year-old Suvarna (last name), was also near the entrance, according to PTI.
Then the dispute began over the cabin door.
The argument
Police said that one of the two men wanted to keep the door open, while the other objected because of the rain falling on the bus.
The controversy erupted as the train moved between Andheri and Borivali stations.
Suvarna then allegedly took out a sharp weapon, known locally as ‘sattu’, and attacked Lohar. Investigators said Mayank was stabbed in the abdomen and chest before collapsing inside the cabin.
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Escape before the train stops
HT had earlier reported that the train arrived at Borivali station at 11:04 pm.
According to police, Suvarna jumped off the bus before the train came to a complete stop and disappeared into the crowd.
Within minutes, personnel from the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) arrived at the cabin. The medical staff, stretcher and porters were mobilized while the authorities tried to rescue the injured passenger.
Mayank Lohar was first taken to the station’s medical emergency room and later shifted to Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivali. Despite efforts to treat him, doctors declared his death.
His father later spoke to reporters and asked the police to arrest the accused. “This should not happen to anyone else’s child. If people like this continue to be on moving trains, my child died today, and tomorrow someone else’s child will die too. Please arrest him quickly and punish him,” he said.
Chase across Mumbai
GRP formed seven investigation teams and began tracking the suspect’s movements. Officers reviewed footage from nearly 400 CCTV cameras across Andheri, Borivali, Mira Road, Nalasopara and nearby entry and exit points, news agency PTI reported.
The footage eventually helped investigators identify the attacker as Suvarna, a resident of Mira Road who worked at Sahar Cargo Complex near Mumbai airport, according to PTI.
Police said Suvarna returned home after the incident and told his father that he was involved in a quarrel on the train. He allegedly left again around midnight fearing arrest and intended to flee Mumbai.
Investigators tracked him down to Panvel and arrested him within hours.
This is the second stabbing incident reported on the Western Railway this year. In February, 32-year-old university lecturer Alok Singh was allegedly stabbed during an altercation while trying to get off a train at Malad station. The police arrested the accused.
(with PTI inputs)
