Mumbai: Thief arrested by police found Covid-19 positive, escapes from hospital; held

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A thief who had been arrested by the police allegedly for mobile theft and was found to be Covid-19 positive escaped from a state run hospital in the wee hours of Saturday but was arrested by the railway police later, police sources said.

The accused identified as Sahil Luftar Sheikh (35) was arrested on September 13 from Masjid railway station in south Mumbai for allegedly stealing a mobile phone, an official said.

On September 13, afternoon, 31-year-old Rajkumar Patel, a delivery boy had boarded a train from CSMT station. When the local reached Masjid, Shaikh was his also in the same coach snatched Patel's phone and fled. Patel got down from local trains and with the help of fellow commuters got hold of Shaikh, he was later handed over to railway police, the official added.

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Shaikh, a resident of Ray Road was booked under IPC section 392 (robbery) and was later placed under arrested by the police. He was produced in the court that had remanded him to judicial custody. But, during his medical check-up, Shaikh turned out to be Covid-19 positive, hence, he was immediately shifted to St. George's Hospital on September 15, he said.

During wee hours of Saturday between 3 to 3.15 he escaped from the ward by removing the handcuffs and removing three wooden bars of the washroom window on the 1st floor of the hospital, police sources added.

As soon as cops realised, a message was circulated among police circle across the city. Railway cops got tip off that, Sheikh is seen in Haji Ali area. A team of railway police officials led by Inspector More rushed to the spot and apprehended the accused. His medical examination has been done and sent in hospital again for treatment, the official further said.