On trial for murder, man steals lawyer’s phone from courtroom, arrested

He flicked the female lawyer’s mobile handset from her purse, while she was presenting an argument before the court.

The Colaba police have arrested Ahmed alias Aslam Abdul Shaikh, who was already on trial for murder, for allegedly stealing a mobile phone from a lawyer’s handbag while she was arguing a case before the Mumbai sessions court.

The police said, Shaikh, along with two others, were accused of killing Dharma Chauhan in October, 2018, at Transit Camp on Ghatkopar Mankhurd Link Road in Govandi, following a dispute over a mobile phone. (file image)

The police said the accused was in the courtroom for his own trial for murdering a friend over a dispute regarding the murder victim’s mobile phone. He flicked the female lawyer’s mobile handset from her purse, while she was presenting an argument before the court.

Advocate Charmi Shah, 26, who practices mainly at the Bombay City Civil and Sessions Court and the Bombay High court, had come to argue a case in court room number 10 at the sessions court last week when she realised her phone was missing from her handbag, which was kept on a chair.

“When she finished arguing and took her handbag, she realised her Redmi mobile was missing. After inquiring for a while in the courtroom and court premises, Shah lodged a complaint,” said a police officer from Colaba police station. Acting on her complaint, the police registered a theft case.

“We started probing into who all had visited the court room that day. However, we did not get any clue about the suspect as several lawyers and accused persons had visited the court room that day,” said the police officer.

The Colaba police also placed the stolen phone’s International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number on surveillance. On Thursday, when the accused restarted Shah’s phone, the police were able tracked its location to Govandi area in the eastern suburbs, and after narrowing down the location, a police team arrested the accused. They identified him as Ahmed alias Aslam Abdul Shaikh, 27, a resident of Raman Mama Nagar in Govandi.

The police said, Shaikh, along with two others, were accused of killing Dharma Chauhan in October, 2018, at Transit Camp on Ghatkopar Mankhurd Link Road in Govandi, following a dispute over a mobile phone.

Shaikh’s friend Bilal Sayyed Gaus had taken Chauhan’s phone. When Chauhan attempted to retrieve it, they had an argument over returning the handset. Gaus then brought an ice breaker tool and stabbed Dharma several times. The injured later succumbed to the injuries.

Along with Gaus the police arrested Shaikh and another one of their friends in the murder case.

“Ahmed was on bail and was attending the court date in the murder case at court room number 10 when he stole the phone of the female advocate,” said a police officer from Colaba police station. “We have recovered the phone and arrested Ahmed in the theft case,” he added.

The investigation was carried out by assistant police inspector, Dnyaneshwar Khandekar under the guidance of senior police inspector of Colaba police station, Vijay Hatiskar.