Omkar Shinde (right), is accused of murdering Alok Kumar Singh (left), a 32-year-old college lecturer, who was stabbed during an argument while alighting from a local train at Malad station on Saturday. (Express Photo, enhanced with AI)
The Borivali Government Railway Police (GRP) scanned nearly 200 CCTV cameras across Malad and Dindoshi to trace the accused in the fatal stabbing of a college lecturer inside a local train at Malad railway station, arresting him within 12 hours on Sunday morning.
The accused, Omkar .Eknath Shinde, was arrested near an autorickshaw stand at Malad after police tracked his movements from the station to the Western Express Highway using CCTV footage and the railway’s Facial Recognition System (FRS).
Shinde is accused of murdering Alok Kumar Singh, a 32-year-old college lecturer, who was stabbed during an argument while alighting from a local train at Malad station on Saturday.
Soon after the incident, the GRP registered a murder case and formed five teams, each comprising five to six officers. City police also joined the search operation. CCTV footage from the railway platform and surrounding areas was analysed to trace the suspect’s escape route.
“We traced the movement of the accused through multiple CCTV cameras from Malad station up to the Western Express Highway. One team also worked on the railway’s Facial Recognition System and found that Shinde regularly travelled from Malad to Charni Road by train,” said police sub-inspector Prakash Salunkhe, a detection officer at Borivali GRP.
According to police, Shinde usually boarded the 7.18 am train from Malad and returned on the 4.16 pm train from Charni Road. Teams scanned CCTV footage at stations including Andheri, Bandra and Mumbai Central using FRS, and also checked cameras in Dindoshi and Kurar.
“We received a clue that he had been spotted on CCTV near Triveni Nagar in Kurar village. Local human intelligence was activated, and one team was deployed at the Malad autorickshaw stand based on his routine,” the officer said.
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Despite doubts that the accused might not travel on a Sunday, police continued surveillance. At around 7.40 am, Shinde was seen alighting from an autorickshaw near Malad station and was immediately apprehended. He was taken to the GRP office in Borivali.
Police showed him CCTV footage of a man fleeing across the foot overbridge after the incident. He identified himself and confessed to the crime, officers said.
During interrogation, Shinde told police that he was carrying a tweezer and, during an argument with Singh, stabbed him in the abdomen in a fit of rage while getting down from the train. “He said he did not realise the injury would be fatal and fled fearing that passengers would beat him,” Salunkhe said.
Shinde lives with his parents and elder brother Amar in Triveni Nagar, Kurar village, Malad (East). His father is a heart patient, his mother is a homemaker and his brother works in a private firm. Shinde runs a small imitation jewellery shop in Tambe Gali in the Grant Road area and is a native of Ratnagiri.
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The accused had managed to flee from the spot due to heavy rush on the platform. CCTV footage showed him panicking and running across the foot overbridge shortly after the stabbing.
“All facts have been verified and the accused has been arrested for murder,” said Senior Inspector DM Khuperkar of the Borivali GRP. Shinde was produced before a court and was remanded to police custody till January 29.
Manish Kumar Pathak is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Mumbai. His work demonstrates substantial Expertise and Authority across the complex field of crime reporting, with a strong focus on law enforcement actions, fraud, and cyber security challenges facing the metropolitan region.
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Defence & Maritime: Also covers key updates regarding the Indian Navy, including the commissioning of new vessels and strategic defense announcements.
Manish Kumar Pathak's consistent focus on crime, fraud, and the workings of the Mumbai police system establishes him as a trusted and authoritative source for critical news in Western India. ... Read More
