2 Mankhurd Men Arrested for Murder of 18-Year-Old Auto Driver in Vashi
Vashi police, in coordination with Crime Branch Unit-1 and central unit teams, arrested two 20-year-old men from Mankhurd on Monday for allegedly murdering an 18-year-old auto-rickshaw driver along the mini seashore road in Sector 10A, Vashi.
The victim was identified as Sujan Kumar Feku Mahato, a resident of Ghansoli. Around 4 am on Saturday, a woman on a morning walk noticed Mahato lying unconscious and bleeding on the pavement. Police arrived at the scene and found he had sustained multiple sharp weapon wounds to his head, neck, and hands. He was declared brought dead at NMMC Hospital in Vashi.
ACP (Crime) Bhausaheb Dhole identified the arrested suspects as Sahil Ananda Surve (20) and Sahil Yashwant Kharat (20), both residents of the Maharashtra Nagar area in Mankhurd. Surve is a history-sheeter previously booked by Trombay police in 2024 for attempted murder, causing grievous hurt, and offences under the Indian Arms Act. He was released on bail on October 7, 2025.
According to police, Mahato worked at a roadside Chinese food stall in Koparkhairane and drove his father's auto-rickshaw at night to support his family. His mother informed investigators that he had left home with the vehicle around 9 pm on Friday. Since the auto-rickshaw was missing from the scene, police suspected it had been stolen.
Investigators scanned CCTV footage in Ghansoli and Koparkhairane, which showed two passengers boarding Mahato's vehicle near Koparkhairane railway station. Footage tracked the auto-rickshaw crossing the Vashi toll plaza toward Mankhurd, where police located the vehicle and detained the two suspects.
During questioning, the duo confessed that they boarded the auto-rickshaw around 3:40 am on Saturday to travel to Mankhurd. When Mahato demanded a fare of Rs 150, the suspects stated they only had Rs 100. They then threatened him at knifepoint and forced him to drive toward Mankhurd.
Upon reaching the mini seashore road in Vashi, Mahato received a phone call and asked the passengers to get down to accommodate another caller. An argument broke out, during which Surve attacked Mahato with a knife. The duo dumped his body on the pavement near a garden and fled the scene in his auto-rickshaw.
