Mumbai: Accused, who molested and robbed journalist, confesses to 6 robberies

The 20-year-old man who was arrested from Mumbra for allegedly molesting and robbing a journalist on Wednesday has claimed he had committed similar crimes at least six times in the past.

The 20-year-old man who was arrested from Mumbra for allegedly molesting and robbing a journalist on Wednesday has claimed he had committed similar crimes at least six times in the past.

The accused, identified as Sameer Shaikh, a Mumbra resident, used to target women commuters in local trains, where he assaulted them, and fled with their mobile phones.

The Thane Government Railway Police (GRP) arrested him on Thursday. “The accused was produced in the Kalyan railway court on Friday, which remanded him in police custody for two days,” said GB Thorat, inspector, GRP.

“We are yet to recover the mobile phone from him. During interrogation, he confessed to the crime and said he had been involved in at least six more cases,” he added.

According to the police, the accused mostly operated during night as the crowd at the railway station and compartments are thinner, making escaping easier for him. He also wore a cap to avoid his face being captured on CCTVs, police said,

The journalist was robbed on Thursday morning when she was traveling to her house in Dombivli from Karjat. At Kalwa station, Shaikh entered the compartment, molested her and robbed the mobile phone worth Rs 41,000.