Khan Maria Shoeb
Sep 7, 2018 · 2 min read

Mumbai local train commuters falling prey to ‘fatka gang’.

Mumbai railway police, on Saturday arrested four youths believed to be involved in 24 cases of mobile theft since last few months. The gang which operated along the railway tracks between thane and mulund would hit the commuters on their hand making them drop their mobile phones.

Masterminds durgesh shukla(20) and kunal jagtap(22) were nabbed along with bittu and ramakar singh who would buy the stolen gadgets from them. Kunal jhanjhod who reportedly assisted shukla on thane Station is on the run. Cops are probing the roles of two more accused.

Police said the gang would only operate during peak hours on the down slow line near kopri bridge between thane and mulund when trains would be crowded. The gang would identify the target travelling on the footboard of a train going towards thane, as locals often slow down for a signal. While one of the members quickly climb the pole along the track and hit a passenger on his hand, others would keep a watch.

The gang often targeted women travellers making them drop their phones, bags and other valuables. As there is a turn near kopri bridge, passengers would remain unaware of the danger ahead and easily fall prey to thefts.

The dropped valuables would be passed on to their third accomplice airbrush at a distance who would alert a conduit and he, in turn, would hunt for a costumer, mostly phone repair shops.“railway police detection unit was hit on the trail of this gang based on a tipoff over the October 27 attack on an MNS functionary on a train near thane. We have zeroed in on the gang through an informer, identified their mediator and a repair shop owner from thane who used to purchase the gadgets, dissemble them and use the spare parts in other gadgets, they were subsequently arrested” said samadhan pawar, DCP, railways. Handsets worth Rs. 3.5lakhs were recovered and nearly 24 cases of mobile theft solved, said uttam sanawane, senior police inspector, thane GRP. Thane Station witnessed an average of 20 mobile thefts daily this year in addition to nearly 45 attacks on commuters at five “fatka” points. The accused were charged under IPC and remanded to police custody for two days. Mastermind kunal jhanjhod father is employed with thane municipal corporation. The duo would climb poles and attack commuters. They hired collegians to keep a tab on cops in the area.

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