Man hides in train toilet to avoid cops

THE 29-YEAR-OLD MALAD RESIDENT IS ACCUSED OF KILLING HIS WIFE

MUMBAI: A 29-year-old man who fled after allegedly killing his wife in Malad’s Dindoshi area was picked up by the police. According to the police, the accused took Chhapra Godan Express from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus in Kurla for Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh. Initially, the police could not find him but he was caught after they searched the train toilets and found the accused holed up in one of them.

The Dindoshi police had registered a case under 302 of the Indian Penal Code (murder) on Thursday after they found Rozi Khatun, 27, a woman dead at her residence in Santoshi Nagar, Goregaon East.

Rozi’s sister Julie Khatun told the police that Rozi’s husband Ansar Ali Hiffazat Ali alias Sameer, 29, had called her and informed her that he strangulated his wife. After which Julie had called Pramod Mourya a local shopkeeper to check on her and he had found Rozi lying on the bed.

“After they informed us we had registered a case and started the search for her husband who was missing,” said Somnath Gharge, deputy commissioner of police, Zone XII.

The police examined CCTV footage of 25 to 30 cameras and learnt that Ali had taken a train to his native place Pratapgarh from LTT.

The police accordingly took help from local police Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) to trace Ali on the train. Search operations were carried out at various stations like Igatpuri, Nashik Road and Bhusawal railway stations but the police could not find the accused.

“Finally two teams were flown to Varanasi from Varanasi Airport they reached Prayagraj railway station where the train was supposed to come and where the accused should alight to reach his native place. One team went towards the train while the second team started checking all the passengers coming out of the train at Prayagraj station with the help of local police,” said Gharge. “They even started checking toilets and found the accused holed up in a toilet of sleeper coach. He had travelled most of the journey hiding in the toilet, making it difficult for the police to find him,” said Gharge.