Mumbai: The trial against Roshan Suvarna, who is accused of murdering co-passenger Mayank Lohar in a local train between Goregaon and Borivli stations in June, has been fast-tracked. The 21-year-old’s murder allegedly took place over an argument about keeping a train compartment door open amid heavy rain. On Monday, during a hearing in the matter, the sessions court cited a letter received from Bombay High Court highlighting the development.The court directed the accused to be produced physically from Thane jail for framing of charges on Oct 3.Last month Govt Railway Police (GRP) requested that the case be fast-tracked and a special public prosecutor be appointed, given the heinous nature of the crime. The 1,100-page chargesheet contains statements from 68 witnesses. They include six to seven key witnesses who were in the first-class compartment of the Nalasopara-bound fast local train on June 23, when Suvarna stabbed Lohar.Eyewitnesses said Suvarna appeared to be visibly drunk. He wanted the compartment door to remain open, but rainwater was coming in, so Lohar shut it. A heated argument followed, during which Suvarna struck Lohar first. Lohar retaliated in self-defence. Soon after, some passengers moved Suvarna away to another exit. He later pulled out a large knife from his bag, approached Lohar and stabbed him in the chest and abdomen.A passenger recorded the incident, with the video showing a blood-soaked compartment. The clip is a crucial piece of evidence in the case. The chargesheet includes the statement of a restaurant manager whose colleagues found the 17.5-cm knife abandoned in a lane outside Borivli (W) station.
