CCTV footage help police arrest 3 responsible for passenger’s death

After they registered the case as an accidental death, Borivali GRP on October 30 converted it into an FIR and booked them for culpable homicide.

(Representational Image)

In what was initially believed to be another case of train accident, the Borivali GRP officials recently arrested three men for culpable homicide, after the CCTV footage revealed that the victim was robbed by them, and in an attempt to get hold of the trio, the 48-year-old fell from the moving train.

According to the police officials, Jairam Gupta, a fruit vendor from Virar was found in an unconscious state at Dahisar railway station on October 13. “He was found at around 5.30pm and after he was rushed to nearby hospital, he was declared dead on arrival. The doctors told us that he died of head injuries,” said an officer from Borivli GRP.

Borivali GRP registered a case of accidental death as they believed that it was a case of train accident. However, when the investigating officers probed further, they learnt that his mobile phone and his wallet were missing.

“As we probed further, we went through the CCTV footage of the spot. We found three men escaping from the same spot at the same time from where Gupta had fallen from the train. As we didn’t have any eye-witness we started looking for the three on the basis of the CCTV footage,” said an investigator.

Soon the Borivali GRP officials were informed that three men have been arrested by the Vasai GRP officials in a mobile theft case. “We got them for interrogation and showed them the CCTV footage of the incident, following which they confessed to the crime,” said an officer.

After they registered the case as an accidental death, Borivali GRP on October 30 converted it into an FIR and booked them for culpable homicide. The police have identified the three as Harshad Rathod (19), Kevin Fernandes (18) and Aniket Vishwakarma (20), residents of Jogeshwari and Nalasopara.

“The accused in their confession to police claimed that they got into a scuffle with Gupta following which they snatched his wallet and mobile. The trio then jumped off the moving train and in a bid to get hold of the three, Gupta too followed suit, but he lost his balance and fell, leading to his death,” said an investigator.

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The police said that the three were involved in another case of robbery registered with Borivli GRP. The three accused are remanded and booked for culpable homicide and robbery while they were produced in court and have been remanded in police custody.

Gupta stayed in Virar and is survived by three three daughters and a son, said an officer.

Mumbai police who are already making the most of the existing closed circuit television, home department recently submitted a proposal to enhance Mumbai policing and help them curb crime against women and other street crimes. The new proposal will add 5,000 CCTV cameras to the existing 4,746, which shall be installed at 1,200 different locations.

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