Father Demands Death Penalty After Son Stabbed to Death on Train Near Andheri
A 22-year-old retail worker who commuted daily to Andheri was stabbed to death on Tuesday night inside a Mumbai local train during an argument over a train door, prompting his father to demand the death penalty for the arrested accused. The victim, Mayank Lohar, was attacked inside a first-class compartment of a Churchgate-Nallasopara fast local train between Andheri and Borivali stations.
The altercation began when Mayank and a co-passenger, identified as Sachin Ramesh Suvarna, argued over whether the train doors should remain open during the rains. During the dispute, Suvarna allegedly pulled out a sharp weapon and stabbed Mayank in the abdomen and chest. Mayank collapsed inside the coach, and the accused jumped off the train at Borivali station and fled.
Despite efforts by the Government Railway Police (GRP), Railway Protection Force (RPF), and medical teams, Mayank succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
Following a massive manhunt involving multiple police teams and the scanning of nearly 400 CCTV cameras across the Western Railway network, officials traced Suvarna to Panvel and arrested him. The weapon used in the attack has not yet been recovered.
The victim's father, Ramesh Lohar, expressed deep grief and demanded the harshest possible punishment for the accused. He questioned how the attacker was able to carry a knife onto a crowded suburban train and why fellow passengers failed to intervene.
"He killed my son; he took his life. He should also be hanged," Ramesh Lohar said. "If he is executed, the world should see it and understand that this is the fate of someone who kills a child."
The victim's family also expressed outrage over bystander apathy during the incident. A cousin of the victim noted that co-travellers filmed the attack on their phones instead of working together to overpower the accused and prevent his escape.
According to his family, Mayank had been commuting between Virar and Andheri for nearly a year to work at a retail clothing store. His father stated that Mayank kept to himself during his daily commute and had no prior connection to the accused.
This tragedy marks the second stabbing incident reported on the Western Railway corridor this year. The family plans to hold Mayank's funeral in Virar once his elder brother and grandfather arrive.
