Mumbai: Undercover RPF personnel lay trap, catch fatka thief

Police with the arrested member of fatka gang

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) nabbed a fatka thief after a two-day operation on Wednesday. The arrested accused, Nitin Pawar, 19, has allegedly admitted to the crime. According to RPF Turbhe officials, on May 28, two fatka (wherein the thief hits a passenger standing at the footboard of a train with a stick) theft cases were reported near Vitava Bridge, Thane, around 12.50 pm.

Teams go undercover
The RPF formed two teams to nab the culprit, led by Lokesh Sagar, senior inspector, RPF, Turbhe. The first team consisting of constables Radheshyam, Vinod Bairva and Rajkumar were deployed near Vitava Bridge and Mukund Coy undercover. They changed their appearance and also hid around the tracks.

The second team consisting of head constable Kishan Singh and constable Rahul Kumar, under the supervision of sub-inspector Nandlal Yadav, were deployed on trains, to travel as passengers between Thane and Airoli by standing at the footboard.

Teams grab accused
On Wednesday, while the second team was travelling by a Thane-Vashi local which had left Thane at 5.28 PM, constable Rahul Kumar's hand was hit with a stick from the OHE pole No. 34/12 near Mukund Coy, making him drop his cell phone. The RPF was expecting this and SI Yadav immediately alerted the ground team - the first team - which surrounded the culprit and nabbed him on the spot.

Stole earlier too
Yadav rushed to the spot and questioned the accused, who disclosed his name as Nitin Pawar, a resident of Digha Airoli. Police said he admitted to the crime. They also seized Rahul Kumar's mobile phone from him.

"The accused also said that he had also stolen two mobiles previously in the same manner, and sold them at Kalwa. He was handed over to GRP Thane for legal action. The Thane Government Railway Police (GRP) registered an offence under Sections 379 (theft), 382 (Theft after preparation for causing death or hurt) of Indian Penal Code and 150(E) of the Railway Act against him," said SI Sagar.

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