65-year-old homeless woman dies after man, 15-year-old try to snatch her bag

The accused, Shubham alias Pandit Chaube (28) and the boy, were strolling in the area when they saw the bag next to Sharda, who was fast asleep. They decided to steal the bag, the police said. “The two pulled the bag. However, it got entangled in Sharda’s neck. She fell down three feet injuring her head. We got to know about the incident an hour later from a passerby who contacted the police control room,” said an officer from Agripada police station.

“A police team arrived at the spot and rushed Sharda to the nearby Nair hospital where she was declared dead on arrival due to head injuries,” said Yogendra Pache, senior police inspector of Agripada police station.

Initially, the police thought it was an accidental death but when they checked CCTV footage from a camera 20 metres away, they realised she died during a robbery attempt. “We then checked more cameras to find the accused,” said police sub-inspector Sandip Galange.

The accused were identified after footage from five to six cameras were checked. The police showed the footage to informers and one of them identified Chaube, who has a past criminal record. He was arrested from Mahim on murder charges. Chaube then informed the police about the involvement of the 15-year-old boy.

Sharda’s daughter, who lives in Wardha, was informed and she claimed her mother’s body on Sunday. Chaube was produced before a magistrate court and remanded in police custody.