Mumbai: Woman dies after falling from auto trying to resist thief; 2 held

Deceased Kanmila Arangsew Raising

A 27-year-old Manipur resident, who was working at a spa salon in Thane's Viviana Mall, lost her life after she fell on the road from a running auto trying to resist a mobile theft attempt. She was on her way back home from work on Wednesday evening along with a colleague when the incident happened.

Naupada cops have arrested two accused in the case who have been identified as Alkesh Parvez Momin Ansari (20) and Sohail Ramzan Ansari (18).

"Both accused are from Bhiwandi and have been booked earlier in Kongaon and Narpoli police station respectively for theft. They were produced in court and remanded into police custody for five days," said DCP Avinash Ambure.

The deceased has been identified as Kanmila Arangsew Raising, 27. Kanmila's colleague Lalngursangi Cheuchema Famchun, also an eyewitness to the incident, said, "Like any other day, on Wednesday we finished work and took an auto from the Viviana Mall stand. I was sitting on the right side while Kanmila was on the left. When our auto was passing through Teen Haat Naka, two men on a bike tried to snatch her mobile phone, which she was holding in her hand. She resisted the attempt but the biker snatched it. Trying to get it back, Kanmila fell from the auto and suffered head injuries."

Lalngursangi immediately took her to the Highway Hospital where the on-duty doctors told her to take Kanmila to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa, where doctors declared her dead around 9.40 pm. After the Naupada police were informed about the incident, they recorded Lalngursangi's statement. According to Lalngursangi, both the biker and the pillion rider were wearing black raincoats.

"The woman tried to resist the theft attempt but the accused managed to snatch it. In an effort to get the mobile phone back, she fell on the road," said Anil Mangle, senior inspector of Naupada police station. "We have got leads about the accused and our teams are working to track them down," he added.

An offence has been registered against unknown people under IPC sections 304 (culpable homicide, not amounting to murder), 392 (robbery) and 34 (common intention).

Ngamchui Rayamah, Kanmila's cousin, said, "She was at home since the lockdown was imposed in April. Her parents are farmers and they somehow manage their livelihood. To support them, Kanmila and her two sisters had come to Mumbai to work. It was just her third day at work and this incident happened. I hope the police take action."