MUMBAI: A dispute over keeping a train door closed during heavy rain turned fatal on Mumbai’s suburban railway network after a 21-year-old passenger was allegedly stabbed inside a crowded local train.Police arrested the accused, identified as 30-year-old Roshan Suvarna, from Panvel within hours of the attack after scanning footage from nearly 400 CCTV cameras and deploying seven teams.According to police, Suvarna, a resident of Mira-Bhayander who works in barcode making for an organisation, had no known criminal record so far.Investigators are also checking whether he was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. Police said Suvarna had allegedly been involved in a quarrel with an autorickshaw driver earlier that day.The incident took place on Tuesday night when both Suvarna and the victim, Virar resident Mayank Lohar, boarded a Churchgate-Nalasopara local train from Andheri station around 10.42 pm.Police said the two men were standing near a coach door that had been kept shut due to heavy rain. Suvarna allegedly opened the door, causing rainwater to enter the compartment and splash onto passengers.Lohar then allegedly closed the door again, leading to an argument between the two.The disagreement escalated into a scuffle, following which fellow passengers intervened and separated them, police said. Some passengers allegedly confronted Suvarna during the altercation.Investigators believe Suvarna felt humiliated after the incident and blamed Lohar.Police allege that while the train was travelling between Goregaon and Malad stations, Suvarna took out a knife from his bag and attacked Lohar.The victim was stabbed multiple times in the chest and abdomen and collapsed inside the coach. Passengers watched in shock as the attack unfolded.A commuter-recorded video allegedly showed Suvarna holding the knife and threatening people after the stabbing.As the train neared Borivli station, Suvarna allegedly escaped by jumping off and fleeing. Lohar was taken to hospital but was declared dead around midnight.Following the murder, Borivli Government Railway Police launched an investigation and formed seven teams.Officials tracked Suvarna’s movements using CCTV footage from railway stations and nearby areas. Police said the accused was seen taking an autorickshaw towards his home after leaving Borivli.Investigators said Suvarna returned home after the attack and did not reveal details about the incident to anyone. Police later found that he was allegedly planning to escape to his hometown in Karnataka.“We were able to trace his family in Mira-Bhayander and track his location to Panvel,” a police officer said.The knife allegedly used in the attack has not yet been recovered. During questioning, Suvarna allegedly told police that he had purchased it online for a friend.The incident has raised concerns among commuters over security checks on Mumbai’s suburban trains. Passenger groups have questioned how a person carrying a weapon entered the train and demanded stricter baggage screening and surveillance.Railway officials said implementing Metro-like security checks is challenging due to the huge number of passengers and open access at railway stations.The killing is the second fatal stabbing reported on Mumbai’s suburban railway network this year.
