Mumbai woman run over by train as chain snatcher attacks her

Before the snatcher could get his hands on her chain, the woman lost control and fell on the tracks just as a train arrived...

A 24-year-old bank employee was run over by a train after falling on the tracks while being attacked by a chain snatcher at Kurla station on Tuesday. RPF officers and other commuters caught the chain snatcher on the spot.

Police said the 19-year-old accused did not have money to return to his native place and tried to snatch the chain out of desperation. (HT)

The police said the accused, Subhashish alias Reppy Bairagi Charan Malik, 19, did not have money to return to his native place and tried to snatch the chain out of desperation.

According to the police, the woman, Sapna Shukla, who is from Uttar Pradesh, was living in Ghatkopar.

An officer from Kurla GRP, on condition of anonymity, said, “Shukla, who worked with a bank at BKC, was going back home and was standing at the edge of platform number 1 alone waiting for 8.19pm train when the chain snatcher attacked her from behind.”

Before the snatcher could get his hands on her chain, Shukla lost control and fell on the tracks just as a train arrived.

“She was taken to Sion hospital, but was declared dead before admission. The accused tried to escape from the spot, but was caught by other commuters and RPF officers,” said an officer, on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media.

Malik had arrived in the city from Odisha 15 days ago.

“The accused had come to Mumbai in search of a job. He found one at the railway station — to clean public toilets — but was frustrated because he couldn’t find anything better. So finally, he decided to go back to his native place, but didn’t have cash to book train tickets. So while he was sitting at the railway station, he noticed the woman and decided to steal the chain she was wearing,” said an officer.

A case has been registered under section 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 393 (attempt to commit robbery) of the Indian Penal Code. He was produced in court and has been remanded in police custody.