09 September,2013 12:57 AM IST | | Sandip Kolhatkar
A 38-year-old graphic and animation designer, who was returning to the city from Mumbai by train, was allegedly assaulted and robbed by five unidentified persons on Friday. The incident took place inside the Mumbai-Kolhapur Sahyadri Express near Pimpri railway station after Ratnakar Kokil caught a thief while he was trying to pick Kokil's pocket.
Bruised and battered: Ratnakar Kokil shows the injuries he sustained during the attack. Pic/Sachin Thakare
The Government Railway Police (GRP) managed to arrest one of the suspects and have intensified their search for the absconding robbers. "I was returning to Pune after an interview with a private firm in Mumbai and boarded the Mumbai-Kolhapur Sahyadri Express at Dadar railway station around 6 pm," Kokil said.
He said a few passengers boarded the train at Dehu Road around 9.10 pm and they started abusing other passengers and even intimated a few for seats as the general compartment was crowded.
"One of them managed to sit beside me. After a while I sensed that he was trying to pick my pocket. I grabbed his arm and shouted chor chor. By then the train had slowed down before Pimpri station and his accomplices took away my cellphone and cash -- worth Rs 12,000 and assaulted me, before they jumped off the train," Kokil said.
The 38-year-old said that the other four suspects hurled stones at him as soon as they got off the train. "The one whom I had nabbed, seized the opportunity to escape from my clutches after assaulting me and jumped off the train. Not a single passenger came to my aid. They were mere spectators, which is quite shameful. If this wasn't enough, there was not a single policeman at Pimpri station whom I could approach. I finally registered my complaint with the GRP on reaching Pune station," Kokil said.
Sub-inspector Uttam Gadage said they arrested one of the suspects in the case, who was identified as Pimpri resident Hemant Lakhan (20), adding that a manhunt was launched to nab the remaining four. u00a0
