Mumbai, April 23: Azad Maidan Police have arrested a 39-year-old accused within 24 hours for allegedly robbing an Uber driver at knifepoint in broad daylight near Crawford Market in South Mumbai.
Accused identified
The accused has been identified as Sahil Asgar Patel (39), a clothes hawker residing at Tripti Apartment, Room No. 01, Ansari Chowk, Kalyan (West), Thane. He reportedly sells garments outside Kalyan railway station.
Robbery incident details
According to police, on April 16 at around 3:45 pm, Patel had come to purchase clothes at Crawford Market. He booked an Uber cab from outside CSMT railway station and reached the market.
After asking the driver to wait for about 15 minutes, he returned to the vehicle and allegedly threatened the driver, Ankit Fofalia (33), with a knife placed on his neck.
Under threat, the accused forced the driver to hand over Rs 18,000 in cash, a gold ring weighing around 5 grams, and also coerced him into transferring Rs 4,000 online via PhonePe.
The accused then fled the spot. A frightened driver later approached Azad Maidan Police Station and lodged a complaint, following which a case was registered under Section 309(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Recovery of stolen property
Police have recovered property, including Rs 2,400 cash, one used Redmi mobile phone worth approximately Rs 15,000, one used goggle worth Rs 100, and clothes worn during the crime (shirt and jeans).
Swift police action
Acting swiftly, under the guidance of senior officers including DCP Zone 1 Dr Pravin Mundhe, ACP Tanveer Sheikh, Senior PI Shrikant Adate, and PI Crime Amrit Pawar, a detection team led by API Liladhar Patil and API Rohit Kalubarme examined CCTV footage from the area.
The footage helped identify the suspect, who was later traced to Kalyan. A police team rushed to Ansari Chowk, Kalyan (West), and apprehended him. During a search conducted in the presence of panch witnesses, police recovered part of the stolen cash and other incriminating material. The knife used in the crime was also seized.
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Accused’s criminal background
The accused has multiple prior cases registered against him, including cheating, theft, assault, and other offences across police stations in Karad, Palghar, and Kalyan. Further probe is underway to recover the remaining stolen property and ascertain if the accused is involved in similar offences.
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