Tax official arrested for robbing train commuter on Panvel-bound train

The accused snatched ₹10,000 from the complainant’s shirt pocket and then jumped off the moving train

The Vashi Government Railway Police (GRP) arrested an official with the central Goods and Services Tax (GST) commissionerate at Pen in Raigad district, for allegedly robbing a commuter in a moving train. The accused – 25-year-old Akshay Prakash Khot – is a resident of Kalyan.

The accused was arrested on Thursday. (HT File)

According to the police, 44-year-old Shivaji Kothawle, a resident of Chunabhatti in Mumbai, had boarded the second class compartment of a Panvel-bound train at Chunabhatti station late on Monday evening. Khot boarded that compartment at Govandi station and stood beside Kothawle.

“The accused allegedly kicked on the complainant’s legs twice. When the complainant confronted him, the accused got enraged and began abusing him. In a fit of rage, the accused then assaulted the complainant,” said a police officer from Vashi GRP.

When the train was approaching Mankhurd station, Khot tried to snatch Kothawle’s mobile phone.

“When the accused did not succeed, he snatched ₹10,000 from the complainant’s shirt pocket and then jumped off the moving train. He boarded a Mumbai-bound train from the adjacent platform,” the officer said.

Kothawle lodged a case. “We examined the CCTV cameras at Mankhurd station. We circulated the footage of the incident and received a tip-off on the accused. We arrested him from Kalyan on Thursday,” the police officer said.

Nandkishore Saste, senior inspector of Vashi GRP said Khot has refuted the allegations. ”It is unclear why the accused robbed the commuter despite being a government official. He is saying that it was not he who robbed the commuter,” Saste said.

Khot was remanded in police custody for three days.