Mumbai jeweller stabbed, assailants flee with gold worth Rs 50 lakh

Sakariya was walking towards his house when the two assailants cornered him at an isolated spot near the Chintamani Ganesh Mandal around 9.45pm.

Kalachowki police are on the lookout for two persons accused of stabbing a 57-year-old jeweller near Chinchpokli railway station on Saturday night.

Kalachowki police are on the lookout for two persons accused of stabbing a 57-year-old jeweller near Chinchpokli railway station on Saturday night. (Shutterstock)

The accused escaped with 1,800 grams of gold, worth nearly Rs 50 lakh, which the victim was carrying back home. A case of robbery and attempt to murder has been registered at Kalachowki police station against the two unidentified assailants.

The victim, Ashok Sakariya, has been admitted to Global Hospital and had to undergo five surgeries.

Sakariya, who owns a gold manufacturing unit at Kalbadevi, had visited Panvel on Saturday to deliver some orders he had received.

“He boarded a train from Panvel to Kurla, and then took a slow train to reach Chinchpokli,” said a Kalachowki police officer involved in the investigation.

Sakariya was walking towards his house when the two assailants cornered him at an isolated spot near the Chintamani Ganesh Mandal around 9.45pm. 

“The accused asked for his bag, which he refused to part with. When he resisted their attempt to snatch the bag from him, one of the accused attacked him on the right wrist with a knife,” said a police officer, requesting anonymity.

Sakariya still refused to let go of the bag and held it to his chest. The assailants then stabbed him again on the shoulder and left wrist.

The victim fell down and suffered head injuries as well. The robbers then took the bag and fled the spot.

Locals, who later found Sakariya lying in a pool of blood, informed the police control room.

“We came to know about the incident after I received a call around 10.30pm on Saturday. Sakariya has undergone five surgeries and we are praying for his speedy recovery,” said Kala Sakariya, Sakariya’s wife.

His younger brother, Kishore Sakariya, said, “We have no idea who it was and how it happened. We will get to know the entire story once my brother recovers.”

“We suspect the role of an insider, as we think the assailants knew that Sakariya used to walk back home. They seem to have carefully planned the attack and robbery,” said another police officer from Kalachowkie police station.