Bihari model held with ‘Italian’ pistol at Borivli station

The arrest took place during a routine check at Borivli station when cops were patrolling the middle foot overbridge.

An aspiring model and actor from Bihar, Abhaykumar Umesh Kumar Chaurasiya, 24, was apprehended by the Borivli Government Railway Police (GRP) on Friday evening with an Italian-made pistol and 14 live cartridges in his possession.

The arrest took place during a routine check at Borivli station when GRP constable Shrirang Mane, along with PSI Mahadik and other personnel, was patrolling the middle foot overbridge. They noticed Chaurasiya walking there with a maroon trolley bag. Their suspicion was piqued when they noticed he had a gun holster at his hip.

They stopped him and asked what was in the bag, but Chaurasiya claimed it merely contained clothes. When they asked him to open it for inspection, he resisted and was taken to the police station, where the bag was opened in the presence of two witnesses. The officers discovered the pistol and cartridges inside. He was subsequently arrested under the Arms Act.

It was on further interrogation that the accused confessed that he had purchased the pistol as a status symbol, paying Rs 18,500 for the firearm and Rs 5,040 for the cartridges in Bihar. The seized pistol was marked with the inscription "7.65 Made in Italy Auto Pistol," while the cartridges bore the marking "7.65 K.F", along with a serial number.

The police will now investigate the origin of the pistol, the accused's intentions, any potential accomplices, and whether he is part of an inter-state gang, said Senior Inspector Datta Khupekar of Borivli GRP. Senior advocate Jaywant Patil, Surendra Landge (Secretary of Borivali Advocate Bar Association), Advocates Sanjay Patil, and Amit Mishra, representing the accused in court, stated that Chaurasiya has no prior criminal record.

Chaurasiya said he was involved in modelling and acting projects, and claimed to have worked with some big actors. He said had just returned to Mumbai after a visit to his village in Bihar when he was apprehended at the station.