The Kurla GRP has arrested 42-year-old Mohammad Saif, also known as Asgar Ali Chowdhury, a habitual bag snatcher wanted in multiple cases across Mumbai, including one where a doctor lost his hand trying to save his wife after both fell from a moving train at Kurla.
The victim, 50-year-old Dr Yogesh Deshmukh, was traveling with his wife Dr Deepali Deshmukh and their nine-year-old child on the Nanded Express from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus. Saif, who previously worked as a hawker selling mobile headphones on trains, had turned to chain and bag snatching on the Kurla-Panvel route.
On June 4, while the Deshmukh family was heading to their village, Saif followed them and snatched Deepali’s bag from the moving train. Deepali fell off the train, and in an attempt to save her, Dr Yogesh also lost his balance and fell, resulting in his left hand being severed from the elbow. CCTV footage confirmed Saif as the habitual offender who had been absconding since June.
On August 8, Saif committed a similar crime at Kozhikode railway station in Kerala, snatching a woman’s bag from a running train, causing her to fall and sustain serious injuries. Despite the incident, he continued his crimes until Kozhikode police arrested him in Delhi. The Mumbai Railway Crime Branch then took custody, and Saif was remanded to police custody.
A police officer revealed that Saif is involved in over 34 chain and bag snatching cases across Mumbai and other cities, particularly active during July and August when he operates in Mumbai. He had been a hawker on express trains about 20 years ago, especially on the Kurla-Panvel route.
