Mumbai: 20-year-old attacks conductor with knife on BEST bus, arrested

The accused fled with the bus conductor`s mobile phone, which the police have recovered following his arrest.

A robbery attempt in Dharavi took a violent turn after a bus conductor suffered grievous injuries following a knife attack on Thursday night. The 20-year-old accused, identified as Saban Mobin Khan, was arrested within four hours of the incident.

The bus conductor, Ashok Kashinath Dagale, was operating on BEST (Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport) bus number MH 01 AP 0324 on the Pydhonie-Vikhroli route. As the bus approached the Yellow Bungalow Corner around 9.05 pm, Khan attempted to snatch Dagale's money bag. When the 44-year-old conductor resisted, Khan allegedly assaulted him with a knife, inflicting serious injuries to his neck, right shoulder, left thigh, and waist. During the struggle, Khan managed to snatch Dagale's mobile phone, worth around Rs 15,000, and fled the scene, the police said.

Dagale immediately filed a complaint at the nearest police station. Despite limited leads, Senior Police Inspector Raja Bidkar, along with officers Sangeeta Mane and Shelke Vikas immediately initiated an investigation into the case. They tracked down the accused within four hours using leads from the CCTV footage and their informants.

The bus conductor's stolen mobile phone was recovered from Khan, and he has been charged under the relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for robbery with an attempt to cause death or grievous injury.

Meanwhile, BEST Kamgar Sena President Suhas Samant, commenting on the incident, said, "It was only after the news reached the press that the authorities began to acknowledge the situation."