Wadala mother fights off armed robber to save six-year-old son in Matunga East

On Wednesday around 7:00 PM, a 36-year-old Wadala homemaker fought off a knife-wielding robber who held her six-year-old son hostage inside her car near Guru Nanak Khalsa College of Arts, Science and Commerce in Matunga East, Mumbai. The mother, Divya Rahul Pai, successfully rescued her son and foiled the robbery by screaming for help, leading to the arrest of the suspect.

Pai had gone to the Matunga East area to pick up her eight-year-old son, who regularly plays football near Khalsa College. She had parked her vehicle outside the college, accompanied by her younger son.

After both children got into the car and took their seats, a man suddenly entered the vehicle through the rear door. The assailant placed a knife against the six-year-old boy's neck and demanded that Pai hand over all of her jewelry and cash.

Instead of submitting to the demands, Pai immediately stepped out of the driver's seat, opened the rear door where the man was seated, and began screaming for help.

Her cries panicked the assailant, who decided to flee the vehicle and run away. However, because he was limping from a leg injury, nearby citizens managed to chase and apprehend him at the spot.

The suspect was identified as 35-year-old Ali Basharat Ali Sayyad, a resident of Kharghar who works as a driver. An officer from the Matunga police station stated that Sayyad claimed he was in desperate need of money. Police recovered two knives from his possession.

Sayyad has been booked for wrongful restraint and robbery. Pai accompanied the bystanders who caught the suspect to the Matunga police station to file the complaint.

While the family escaped physical harm, Pai mentioned that her two sons were deeply frightened by the incident and were unable to sleep that night.