Mumbai Crime: 36-year-old stabbed with kitchen knife for 'staring angrily'

Jahanbin Dumasia and Pemchand Yadav

If not for this alert and competent watchman, a 36-year-old resident of Fort's Mackawee Mansion would not have lived to see the day. After his father suffered a paralytic attack last week, Jahanbin Dumasia has been running back and forth between his home and Bombay Hospital.

Courage takes over
On Thursday, as the businessman reached back home at around 8.30 pm, he reached his home on the second floor, only to be accosted by a stranger in his 30s who, allegedly upset at being stared at angrily by Dumasia, came at him with a kitchen knife and stabbed him in the stomach. However, lucky for Dumasia, part-time watchman Premchand Yadav was on the first floor when he heard the scuffle upstairs and rushed to see what it was.

"When I went upstairs, I saw blood oozing out from Jahanbin sahib and some man attacking him," said Yadav, adding, "I don't know what happened, but I got the courage to attempt to hold him back. However, as I was overpowering him, he managed to slash sahib's cheek. I then held him by his neck and his hand that held the knife. He kept trying to free himself and even bit me on my right hand, but I didn't let go."

Another eyewitness, Sunil Sagai, a worker in Mackawee Mansion, said, "We were sitting at the entrance and we saw (Jahanbin) walk towards the lift. After a few minutes, we heard loud cries and ran upstairs where we saw Premchand holding a person and blood from Jahanbin sahib's stomach. We immediately called a cab and took him to Bombay Hospital."

Meanwhile, other building residents also jumped to action and called the police control room. It was only after officers from the MRA police station arrived and took away the attacker that they heaved a sigh of relief.

Police say
"The attacker has been identified as Bharat Bariya (30), a resident of Chinchpokli. A railway ticket found in his pocket suggests he travelled to south Mumbai in the evening," said an officer from the MRA police station. "Bharat claims he works as a painter in south Mumbai, but we are still verifying the facts."

"Victim Jahanbin has sustained injuries to his stomach and face and is undergoing treatment at the ICU in Bombay Hospital," added Sukhlaal Varpe, senior inspector of MRA police station.

He added that while the "reason for the attack is still not clear, on preliminary inquiry the accused has said that he attacked victim because he stared at him angrily. He has now been booked under sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 325 (causing grievous injury) of the IPC.