Woman foils chain-snatching bid

28th Aug 2012
 
A 42-year-old woman from Malad resisted a chain-snatcher's attempt to attack her and raised an alarm getting him caught on Sunday night. Sumitra Kumbhar, 42, who runs a shop, was returning home with her daughter-in-law, Archana, when the incident took place on the foot overbridge at Chincholi level-crossing. A local youth, Hitesh Sawant, sustained injuries while nabbing the snatcher. 

"I have been taking the same route home for years together, but have never been mugged before nor been a witness to any crime," Sumitra told TOI. 

Sumitra resides with her family at Raipada in Malad (West). She runs a store on hire at Malad (East). On Sunday, she shut the shop earlier than usual as it was a weekend. "Around 7.30pm,Archana and I had reached the foot overbridge and were crossing over from east to west. While we were climbing down the stairs, two young men came up from the opposite direction. Both Archana and I were wearing mangalsutras. But the men missed Archana as she had covered her jewellery with her dupatta. I'm glad she wasn't harmed," Sumitra said. 

The snatchers lunged at Sumitra's throat and threatened her at knife-point, even as she gasped. They snatched her mangalsutra and slapped her, when she tried to resist. But Sumitra did not stay quiet. She screamed for help, alerting passersby. Sawant, made a dash for the snatchers. They slashed his arm in an attempt to flee. 

"Sawant and the others managed to catch hold of one of the snatchers, Wilfred Joseph (31), while his associate, Rizwan, fled. Sawant was treated for his injury at Siddharth Hospital in Goregaon," a police official said. 

"The crowd was about to thrash Joseph when I begged them not to. Having read recent newspaper reports about thieves being lynched, I was worried about the young man. On my insistence, the crowd summoned the police and handed over Joseph to them," Sumitra said. Joseph is a native of Bangalore and is unemployed.

News from TOI

Protesters block Malad road after youth’s death

23rd Aug 2012

Around 500 people with the body of a 24-year-old youth blocked Malad Link Road for an hour on Wednesday, protesting his death.

Yellil Das Shankar, who was beaten by another youth, died of his injuries on Tuesday. His family and neighbours got angry because they suspected that the police were supporting the accused and delayed his arrest.

The local deputy commissioner of police and local Congress Member of Legislative Assembly Aslam Sheikh reached the spot and pacified the protesters.

Shankar lived with his family in Kanch pada area in Malad (West).

On August 10, Shankar had an argument with David Anthony Kondur, 29, over a trivial matter. Both were drunk. The argument turned ugly and Kondur hit Shankar’s head with a stick. Kondur lives in the same area and works in the BMC.

Shankar was in KEM Hospital till August 16. Kondur escaped. “Shankar’s family registered a case against Kondur in the Malad police station,” said a police officer.

On August 19, his condition worsened and his family admitted him to a private hospital and.

“He died of his injuries on Tuesday,” said Shankar’s cousin Lingam Singerwelo.

“The police were allegedly helping the accused. They arrested him after a week of the incident,” he added.

Police inspector of Malad police station R Prabhu said that initially a complaint under section 326 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against the accused as he was absconding.

“After Shankar’s death, we got a call from the hospital. We added the charge of murder against the accused and arrested him under section 302 (murder) IPC,” he added.

News from DNA

Rasta roko derails civic demolition

24th Aug 2012

MUMBAI: A civic demolition squad was greeted with a rasta roko and pelted with stones on Thursday at Saparewadi Madh in Malad (W). The BMC officials of P(north) ward lodged an FIR against the locals for obstructing their work.

Around 500 people staged a rasta roko against the demolition of 20 illegal structures when the civic squad—armed with Malwani police personnel—reached the spot at 12.15pm. The locals threatened to immolate themselves with petrol, if the BMC officials went ahead with the demolition.

"They stopped our machines and prevented us from conducting the demolition. They had recently constructed residential structures at the spot. We had issued a stop-work notice under the MMC Act. Five to six notices have gone to them since the last two months. In spite of that, they did not vacate the spot. No families are living in those structures, which have been planned by the contractor and the land mafia," said a civic official.

The BMC engineers then went to Malwani police station to lodge an FIR against the people.

News from Times of India

Owners of illegal buildings booked

24th Aug 2012

The P-North ward officer of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday lodged an FIR against 15 illegal structure owners at Madh in Malad (West) allegedly for attacking the civic staff that had gone for the demolition on Thursday afternoon.

More than 35 civic staff had gone to Satarewadi in the Madh area to carry out the demolition of illegal residential structures which have come up in a month’s time.

A junior engineer from the ward’s building and factory department said, “When we went to the spot, they attacked us. Even as the P–North ward staff was present at the spot since Wednesday, the illegal structure owners put up a united front to pelt stones on them.”

Devendra Jain, Assistant Commissioner from P – North ward said that proper procedure has been followed for the demolition. “The structures are illegal and we will demolish them anyways. With the FIR now, we can take action against the illegal structure owners too,” said Jain.

News from DNA

MBA graduate jumps to death in Malad Evershine Nagar

7th Aug 2012

A 25-year-old MBA graduate allegedly jumped to her death from the terrace of her sixth floor house in Malad (West) on Monday morning. According to the police, Smiti Puri was to get married in January next year and her mother had left for the US to shop for the wedding a few days ago. The reason for the suicide is still unknown and police officers said no suicide note was found.

According to the police, Smiti lived with her father Ajay (55), mother Rajni (42) and siblings Disha (23) and Rasika (20) at Rajendra Vihar Society in Evershine Nagar. Officers have learnt that Smiti was engaged to a Malad-based businessman.

“The family members said they haven’t informed Rajni yet,” said a police officer.

Senior inspector R Bagul of Bangur Nagar police said the incident came to light around 9.45 am. “She was found lying in a pool of blood by some residents of the building. They rushed her to the hospital but she was declared dead on arrival. We have sent the body for post-mortem examination and are awaiting the report,” said Bagul.

The police spoke to Smiti’s father but said the family does not suspect any foul play. “They are not in a position to talk and we have not recorded all their statements yet. We will do so in a few days,” he added. The police have also spoken to residents to find out the reason behind the suicide.

News from Financial Express