25-year-old bites off part of man’s finger on Thane train

A 34-year-old commuter lost the upper part of his index finger after another commuter allegedly bit it off during a scuffle on a crowded train near Kurla station

A 34-year-old commuter lost the upper part of his index finger after another commuter allegedly bit it off during a scuffle on a crowded train near Kurla station on Thursday.

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While the Kurla government railway police (GRP) arrested the 25-year-old accused, Asif Yusuf Shaikh, the victim, Mahesh Pandurang Dumbare, had to undergo a plastic surgery for his finger.

This is the second such incident this week as a 35-year-old woman was bitten by another local train commuter between Prabhadevi and Dadar stations on Tuesday. “We have arrested Shaikh on charges of assault and causing grievous injury and threatening,” said M Inamdar, senior inspector of Kurla GRP.

The police said Dumbare, a Ghansoli resident, who works in Andheri, had boarded the first-class compartment of a slow Thane-bound train at 7.50pm from Dadar. He was standing near the door when the train stopped at Kurla. Shaikh, a Khar resident, boarded the train and began pushing commuters standing near the door. “There were already three men there. I was being crushed by Shaikh’s weight and as other people were still boarding, I pushed him ahead,” said Dumbare. Agitated, Shaikh began abusing Dumbare. “When I asked him to shut up. Shaikh held my collar and I slapped him,” said Dumbare. “As my hands were near his [Shaikh’s] neck, he held it and started biting my index finger,” said the victim.

“The pain was excruciating and sent me in a shock. On opening my eyes, I saw three men pulling Shaikh away from me. His mouth was filled with blood and a part of my finger,” said Dumbare. The accused allegedly pounced on Dumbare again, but passengers held him. He allegedly threatened to “rip off” Dumbare’s flesh.

As Dumbare got off at Dombivli station to report the matter, he saw Shaikh running away. Passengers had called the police by then. Dumbare, along with, the police then caught Shaikh.