Mumbai: Court Convicts Trio For Knife-Point Robbery Inside CST-Bound Train, Issues Sentencing

The sessions court has convicted two men and a woman for robbing a passenger at knifepoint aboard a CST-bound train in May 2021. The court deemed this robbery, committed in broad daylight on a local train, as a heinous crime.

Aasif Akbar Shaikh, 24, and Abdul Amir Sayyed, 28, were sentenced to seven years each, while Sherbanu Khan, 26, received a three-year sentence, with the court showing leniency due to her having two children.

The Robbery Incident And Subsequent Arrests

According to the prosecution’s case, Vijay Wagdhare, the complainant, boarded the train from Curry Road station to CST around 10am on May 12, 2021. As the train emptied at Masjid Bandar, leaving only four passengers, Wagdhare was approached by the accused under the guise of asking for the time, and then assaulted. One of them brandished a knife and the others stole Wagdhare’s gold chain and Rs 5,000 in cash from his pocket. Despite this, Wagdhare managed to apprehend Shaikh, while the others fled at CST.

Wagdhare promptly sought help and handed Shaikh over to the police. Shaikh cooperated during questioning, leading to the arrest of the other suspects. However, the main accused, Wasim Pathan, remains at large. Khan was arrested the next day, while Sayyed was apprehended on May 16, 2021. Police recovered a piece of the stolen gold chain from Sayyed, along with the knife used in the robbery.

Court's Verdict And Sentencing Decision

Based on Wagdhare’s testimony and identification of the accused in court, as well as the recovery of part of the stolen loot, Sessions Judge VM Sundale ordered the conviction.

During sentencing, the judge said, “The robbery at knife point on a local train in broad daylight is a heinous crime. The accused not only robbed the victim but also caused grievous harm to him.