Mumbai doctor loses arm in train robbery, accused arrested after 3 months

Mumbai: Nearly three months after a horrific train robbery attempt left an Ayurveda doctor maimed while trying to protect his wife, also a doctor, the Kurla Government Railway Police (GRP) have arrested the accused in Kerala's Kozhikode.

The accused, identified as a 40-year-old repeat offender with over 30 criminal cases, mostly for chain and bag snatching. Once a hawker selling trinkets on trains, he abandoned the trade and turned to crime, targeting passengers across Mumbai, Delhi, and other states.

Medical Dialogues reported in June that during a robbery attempt targeting a doctor couple on a moving train, a 50-year-old Ayurvedic doctor lost part of his left arm while trying to protect his wife.

Also read- Mumbai doctor couple injured in train robbery; husband loses arm

The victim, Dr Yogesh Deshmukh, and his wife, Dr Deepali Deshmukh, both practising physicians, were travelling with their nine-year-old daughter to visit a relative when the horrifying ordeal unfolded between Kanjurmarg and Bhandup stations.

The incident occurred just 15 minutes after the train departed from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) at around 3:35 a.m. The family had boarded coach S-4, and soon after departure, settled in for the overnight journey — Deepali on the middle berth, Yogesh on the upper, and their daughter below. Around 3:50 a.m., while the train was passing between Bhandup and Kanjurmarg, a well-built, unidentified man believed to be around 6 feet tall, approached her berth and attempted to snatch the bag.

Despite being half-asleep, Deepali resisted fiercely, prompting the thief to drag her toward the coach door. Hearing the commotion, Yogesh jumped down and rushed to save his wife. As the train slowed, the robber leapt off with the stolen bag. In the chaos, both Yogesh and Deepali fell onto the tracks.

Tragically, Yogesh's left arm was crushed under the wheels. Deepali sustained bruises but managed to pull her husband away from the tracks. Disoriented and unaware of their exact location, the couple flagged down help on a nearby deserted road.

Since then, the police had been hunting for the robber for three months, until recently, when they received a report of a similar incident at Kozhikode railway station. In the recent incident which occurred on August 8, the commuters suffered injuries after falling off the train while being robbed.

Suspecting the modus operandi of both cases to be similar, the police began their investigation and tracked him down in Kozhikode. He was arrested and later handed over to the Mumbai GRP, who took custody of him.

Senior Inspector Sambhaji Yadav told HT that the accused has at least 33 cases registered against him nationwide. The stolen handbag of Dr Deepali is yet to be recovered.

Police have also sought a test identification parade before September 26, where Dr Deshmukh, his wife, and co-passengers will identify the accused.

Speaking to TOI after the incident in June, Deepali had said her husband would have to undergo multiple surgeries and would get an artificial arm after six months. The incident has devastated the Deshmukh family, and his future as a practising doctor remains a concern.

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