4 min readMumbaiJun 11, 2026 07:02 PM IST
First published on: Jun 11, 2026 at 06:18 PM IST
The cab driver who assaulted a 75-year-old man in Thane — seen in a video that went viral and prompted Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to seek stringent action — was tracked down through a sting operation by Shiv Sena workers who posed as customers seeking a ride. The victim, Sarosh Dastoor, has fractured his right leg and is recovering at Jupiter Hospital.
Workers used the vehicle’s registration number to get the car owner’s contact details, then called him pretending to book a cab to Lalbaug in Parel. The owner passed on driver Nishant Shukla’s number. When Shukla was contacted, he agreed to the trip and rode to the designated spot on his motorcycle. Party workers identified and detained him there before handing him over to police.
“Using the registration number of the vehicle, we obtained the address and contact details of the car owner. One of our workers called the owner pretending to be a customer seeking a ride to Lalbaug in Parel. The owner then shared Shukla’s mobile number. When contacted, Shukla agreed to take the trip and as he was roaming on his bike in the vicinity, he arrived at the designated location on his motorcycle, assuring that he would be bringing his car. As soon as he reached there, party workers identified and detained him before handing him over to the police,” said local Shiv Sena leader Nitesh Patole, who was among those involved in tracing the accused.
Workers from the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction were also part of the search.
The Vartak Nagar police have charged Shukla under Section 109 (attempt to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. He has been remanded to two days of police custody. The case was registered on the complaint of a member of the search team, as Dastoor has not personally filed a complaint. Police said his statement has not been recorded yet as he is still recovering physically and emotionally, and will be taken once he is in a better condition.
The assault took place near Jupiter Hospital in Thane West around 8 pm on Tuesday, when Dastoor and his wife were on an evening walk outside their residential building. Shukla was allegedly gargling and spitting repeatedly on the road when Dastoor objected. An argument turned violent and Shukla allegedly began abusing and assaulting the senior citizen.
Eyewitness Ganesh Jadhav, who runs a coconut stall near the spot, said the altercation escalated quickly. “The cab driver was standing near his vehicle and was allegedly gargling water and repeatedly spitting on the road. Dastoor objected to his behaviour and requested him not to spit in public places. An argument ensued, which quickly turned violent after Shukla allegedly began abusing and assaulting the senior citizen,” Jadhav said.
Amit Samanta, a manager at a nearby shop, said he rushed out after hearing the commotion. “It was closing time and I heard an altercation outside the shop. The customer in the shop rushed out. I also came and saw a man assaulting the senior citizen, who then fell on the footpath. The same customer intervened, stopped the fight and took the injured man to Jupiter Hospital in his car as he had sustained injuries to his right leg,” Samanta said.
Dastoor and his wife live alone in a housing society near the hospital. A security guard at the building said he had worked there for three years and saw the elderly couple on their evening walks almost every day.
Shinde called the Thane Police Commissioner seeking stringent action, including the addition of an attempt to murder charge given the gravity of the offence. MP Shrikant Shinde spoke to Dastoor over a video call at the hospital, inquired about his health and assured him of support. Despite approaches from multiple political parties, Dastoor has declined political support. Patole said Shukla later claimed he turned violent after Dastoor allegedly abused him in English.
The assault took place near Jupiter Hospital in Thane West around 8 pm on Tuesday, when Dastoor and his wife were on an evening walk outside their residential building. (Express photo edited by ChatGPT) 
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