Mayank Lohar was travelling in the first-class compartment of a Churchgate-Nallasopara fast local train on Tuesday night when he became involved in an argument with another passenger between Goregaon and Kandivali. According to police, the dispute erupted over whether the coach door should remain closed during heavy rainfall.
The confrontation soon turned deadly. Police said the accused, identified as Roshan Suvarna, suddenly took out a large knife from his bag and stabbed Lohar. The 21-year-old died on the spot.
A video recorded by fellow passengers showed Suvarna, dressed entirely in black, walking away from the victim after the attack. Witnesses were heard expressing shock and saying that the victim had been killed.
Overwhelmed by grief and struggling to come to terms with the tragedy, Lohar's mother said her son had not eaten anything and was hungry before the incident. Fighting tears and emotional trauma, she insisted that her son was not the kind of person who engaged in arguments and urged authorities to ensure strict punishment for the accused.
"He would never pick a fight with anyone. He would not even leave the house unnecessarily. What can I do? Where do I go?" she said while speaking to the media.
Lohar's elder sister also questioned the absence of timely intervention and asked where the police and fellow passengers were during the incident. She said her brother never travelled by hanging near the train door and maintained that he was a peaceful person who avoided conflicts.
"You can ask anyone in our residential building that he would not fight with anyone. He was only 21 years old and his entire life was ahead of him. Today my brother died, tomorrow somebody else's brother will die," she said.
Demanding capital punishment for the accused, she warned that unless strict action was taken, similar incidents could continue. She also highlighted the growing concern over criminals carrying weapons inside public transport and pointed out that the murder took place inside a first-class compartment.
According to the Western Railway Police, the accused was initially assaulted by other passengers during the altercation. Enraged by the situation, he attacked Lohar with the knife before fleeing from the train.
"Between Goregaon and Kandivali, two passengers fought over closing the train door amid rainfall. During this time, the accused stabbed the victim with a knife. He then fled the scene," Datta Khuprekar, Senior Police Inspector of Borivali Railway Police, said.
The shocking murder has intensified concerns over security inside Mumbai's suburban trains and renewed questions about the ease with which deadly weapons can be carried into crowded public transport systems, as the grieving family continues to seek justice for a young man whose life was cut short in a moment of violence.
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