Man drags woman off train in theft bid, held

MUMBAI: He (the accused) snatched her handbag and tried to jump out but she held on to it and was dragged to the exit door PURSHOTTAM KARAD,

GRP deputy commissioner

The Government Railway Police (GRP) arrested a 24-year-old man Sunday on charges of attempt to murder after he allegedly dragged an elderly woman off a moving train in Mumbai in a bid to rober her.

The woman suffered serious injuries in the incident, which took place on August 22, as she refused to let go of her handbag, GRP officials said.

Police said the accused, Mukkadar Idrisi alias Rehmaa, had spotted Pratibha Vijaykumar Tripathi, a resident of Andheri, in the S3 coach of Udyaan Express, and boarded another coach of the train, which departed at 8.10am from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT).

Idrisi took advantage of the slow speed and moved to the S3 coach, GRP deputy commissioner Purshottam Karad said.

“He snatched Tripathi’s handbag and tried to jump out but she held on to the bag and was dragged to the exit door with it. Idrisi decided to give a sudden tug and lunged out of the train, pulling Tripathi down on the tracks. She made an attempt to get up but her hip and right hand had suf- fered injuries,” he added.

“She then saw a Karjat-bound train approaching... and waved her left hand, signalling for help,” Karad said. Assistant commissioner of police, Central GRP, Machindra Chavan said “the motorman saw her lying on the tracks and stopped to help her...”

Varun Tripathi, the woman’s son, said, “She has been through a few operations and now her condition is stable...”

Police said they have also recovered two mobile phones from Idrisi’s possession.