After senior citizen’s chain was snatched at Dahisar, police officer expertly leverages her connections to intercept the thief on board a train near Madhya Pradesh
Shaikh worked as a daily wage labourer and is addicted to drugs, pushing him into repeated offences. Representation pic/istock
The Dahisar police arrested a 28-year-old chain-snatcher who tried to escape to Bihar after robbing a senior citizen of her gold chain worth Rs 80,000 in Dahisar East on September 30. The accused, identified as Gayasuddin Shaikh, boarded the Dagrugarh Express bound for Bihar. But swift coordination between Dahisar police and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) led to his dramatic arrest from a moving train before it reached Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh.
Shaikh, originally from Muzaffarpur, Bihar, was born in Palghar district and lived with his family in Nalasopara’s Alkapuri area. Police said he has a criminal past and was earlier arrested by Vasai GRP in a theft case this year.
The chase
After the crime, Dahisar police launched a probe under the supervision of DCP Mahesh Chimate (Zone 12), ACP Maloji Shinde, and Senior Inspector Sarjerao Patil. API Prakash Lahane and his detection team scanned nearly 50 CCTV camera footages from the crime spot and nearby railway stations, which helped identify Shaikh.
When police reached his home, Shaikh was missing. Technical analysis later showed his friend’s phone moving through Jalgaon and Bhusaval, confirming he was travelling by train. API Dipali Kharat, who previously worked with GRP, coordinated with RPF teams to intercept him.
RPF officers finally spotted the accused in a general coach of the train before Burhanpur and detained him. He was handed over to the Dahisar police, who brought him back to Mumbai on October 2. Produced in court on Friday, Shaikh was remanded to police custody till October 6.
Gold chain still missing
The stolen chain has not yet been recovered. Police suspect Shaikh may have sold it to a jeweller and are conducting searches across Nalasopara and adjoining areas. Officials added that Shaikh worked as a daily wage labourer but had become addicted to drugs, pushing him into repeated offences.
Troubled past
An officer revealed that Shaikh, while working as a labourer, often fell ill. A hospital blood test revealed he was HIV positive. “Whatever money he earned, he spent on drugs. With his health deteriorating, he gave up working and turned to theft to sustain his addiction,” the officer said.
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