Man Stabbed to Death on Mumbai Local Train After Dispute Over Coach Door
Argument between two commuters over keeping the train door open during heavy rain turns fatal; attacker remains absconding.
Mumbai: A 21-year-old man was allegedly stabbed to death inside a Mumbai local train on Tuesday night following an argument over closing the coach door during heavy rain. Police arrested the accused, identified as 30-year-old Roshan Suvarna, on Wednesday. The victim, Mayank Lohar, was travelling in the first-class compartment of a Churchgate–Nallasopara fast local train when he got into an argument with another passenger between Andheri and Borivali stations.
A video of the incident, which went viral on social media, showed the accused dressed in black and carrying a knife as he walked away after the attack. Bloodstains were visible on the train's metal seats.
According to Western Railway (WR), the dispute began when passengers argued over whether to close the coach door as rainwater entered the compartment. During the altercation, the accused allegedly stabbed Lohar in the abdomen and fled as the train neared Borivali station.
The train arrived at platform number 6 at Borivali station at 11.04 pm. Within three minutes, personnel from the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) reached the coach and attended to the injured passenger. A stretcher and medical team were brought to the scene, and Lohar was shifted to the station’s Emergency Medical Room for treatment. Following medical advice, he was taken by ambulance to Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivali, accompanied by GRP and RPF personnel, a WR official said.
Vineet Abhishek, Chief Public Relations Officer of WR, said railway staff, along with the RPF, GRP and emergency medical teams, responded immediately after the train arrived at Borivali. Senior railway officials, including the Additional Divisional Railway Manager (ADRM), Mumbai Central, and the Senior Divisional Security Commissioner, later visited the station to review the incident. He said CCTV footage and other evidence had been secured and handed over to investigators.
“We have taken several measures, including the installation of CCTV cameras with facial recognition systems and the deployment of RPF and GRP personnel for passenger safety. This is an unfortunate incident, and the GRP is investigating the case. We are extending full support to the investigation,” Mr. Abhishek said.
According to the GRP, the incident took place at around 10.50 pm on June 23 inside the first-class compartment of the fast local train. “An argument broke out after rainwater entered the coach and a passenger attempted to close the train door. The disagreement quickly escalated into a violent altercation, during which one passenger was fatally assaulted,” a police officer said.
The Borivali GRP registered a case under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in the early hours of June 24. Seven special teams from the Railway Police and Crime Branch were formed to trace the accused.
Investigators examined footage from more than 400 CCTV cameras at Borivali, Andheri, Mira Road and Nalasopara railway stations, as well as nearby areas. Using technical analysis, intelligence inputs and field investigations, police identified and tracked down the suspect.
According to the GRP, Suvarna, a barcode maker who lives in Mira Road East in Thane district. He was apprehended from the Panvel–Navi Mumbai area on June 24. Further investigation is underway.
