Thief who was assaulted by Mahim locals dies; 8 arrested

Eight people from Mahim have been arrested and charged with murder after a man allegedly beaten for stealing valuables succumbed to his injuries.

Police have arrested eight people from Mahim and charged them with murder after a man, who was allegedly beaten up by locals for stealing valuables, succumbed to his injuries at Sion hospital on Monday.

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According to the Shahu Nagar police, the thief, identified as only Bablu, stole a mobile from one Mohammed Amjad Khan’s residence on May 17. Later, when he entered the house of another resident, Sapna, he was caught, senior police inspector Jeetendra Kamble said.

“Neighbours immediately gathered and bashed him up with whatever things they could get their hands on. Bablu managed to escape the mob but later fell on the railway tracks,” he said.

The Wadala Government Railway Police found him and admitted him to Sion hospital. All Bablu could tell the police at the hospital was that he was beaten up by locals in Mahim, a police officer said.

Kamble said, “We initially registered a case under section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code but later added section 302 (murder). On Tuesday, we arrested eight people from Azad Nagar in Mahim East who had assaulted him resulting in his death.”

A local who intervened and tried to save Bablu was abused by the eight, another police officer said.

The accused, identified as Imtiyaz Shaikh, Shivam Devekar, Mohammed Amjad Khan, Ajay Nair, Chandrakant Reddy, Daniel Korna, Yeshu Siddharmah and Ilyias Shaikh, will be produced before a court on Wednesday.

Police officers said since Bablu was severely injured, he could not share details about himself. Kamble said they have circulated his photo in all police stations and are inquiring in the area to identify the deceased.