Panvel man holds family hostage, injures cops in eight-hour standoff

The police smashed down the door and tried to subdue Mahto, who charged at them like a man possessed. Illustrations/Uday Mohite

A Panvel neighbourhood witnessed a real-life crime thriller on Wednesday night when a 35-year-old man, armed with a sickle and axe, held his entire family hostage for eight hours and left four cops bleeding before finally being overpowered.

Soban Babulal Mahto (in mask)

The accused, Soban Babulal Mahto, a resident of Mangla Niwas, Godse Ali, stormed into his family home around 8.30 pm, broke down the doors and locked his mother, father, brother, two nephews, and niece inside. The reason? A bitter property dispute has been simmering within the family.

Mangla Niwas, the building where the chaos unfolded, at Godse Ali in Panvel. PICS/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

According to sources, Mahto, short but well-built, has always been a local terror. In 2018, he was arrested for murder, but managed to secure bail a week ago. "He has been unpredictable and violent for years. Everyone in the area feared him, but that night, he crossed every limit," said a neighbour, recalling the cries for help from inside the house.

‘Will kill everyone!'

The Panvel City police first received a call from neighbours around 8.30 pm. Sub-Inspector Pragya Munde rushed to the spot with her team, spoke to locals, and confirmed the accused was Mahto. When she tried to talk him into surrendering, Mahto bellowed back, "If police try to enter, I will kill everyone. I'll slit my niece's throat in front of you all."

Senior PI Nitin Thakre (left) and the police officers who sustained injuries trying to subdue Soban Mahto. PIC/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The terrified 16-year-old niece, Nikita Mahto, was dragged by her uncle and had a koyta [sickle] pressed against her neck as cops watched helplessly from outside. Senior PI Nitin Thakre, PI (Crime) Shakir Patel, and PSI Pravin Fadtare soon reached with reinforcements. Appeals failed, so the fire brigade was called in. They smashed open the door and sprayed water inside to distract the accused, while Constable Sadhna Pawar unleashed chilli spray. But the moment the door came down, Mahto charged like a man possessed. Armed with a sickle and an axe, he slashed at the cops.

Cops slashed but fight back

Constables Ravindra Pardhi, Sainath Mokal, and Samrat Daki risked their lives to grab him. In the melee, Mahto's sickle ripped through Constable Daki's arm, leaving him with a wound that needed six stitches. Pardhi and Mokal were also injured but refused to back down. Despite all odds, the cops pushed forward, and after eight hours of chaos, they finally overpowered Mahto, disarmed him, and rescued the family, which was shaken but safe.

Aggrieved about a property matter, Soban Babulal Mahto, a resident of Godse Ali, Panvel, stormed his residence, Mangla Niwas, around 8.30 pm on Wednesday. Illustrations/Uday Mohite

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone III) Prashant Mohite said, "The accused was dangerous, armed, and even threatened to kill a minor. Despite grave risk, our men fought valiantly and ensured not a single family member was harmed."

Sections invoked

The armed 35-year-old man proceeded to hold his mother, father, brother, two nephews, and 16-year-old niece hostage. Terrified neighbours, meanwhile, alerted the police

Police have booked Mahto under multiple sections of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita, including 109(1): Abetment of offence, 121(2): Attempting to wage war against government officers, 127(2): Obstructing public servants in discharge of duty, 132: Assault on public servants, 135: Unlawful assembly with deadly weapons, 140(2): Disobedience to orders by public servants, 332(B): Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant, 333: Voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public servant, 351(2), and 352: Assault and use of criminal force. He has also been charged under the Arms Act, Sections 4 and 25, for illegal possession and use of deadly weapons. The seized weapons are being sent for forensic examination. Senior Police Inspector Thakre is leading the investigation.

Neighbourhood in shock

Despite using chilli spray and water to deter the accused, four Panvel City police officers sustained injuries before Mahto could be subdued

Locals who watched the high-voltage drama unfold are still shaken. "The whole building didn't sleep. He had turned his home into a torture chamber. We thought he would kill his niece in front of us. The cops saved the day," said an eyewitness.