Overview

• On August 3, 26-year-old commuter Gaurav Nikam lost his foot after a ‘fatka’ gang member struck his hand with a stick to snatch his mobile phone while he stood on the train’s footboard between Shahad and Ambivali stations.
• Visuals showed Nikam’s leg crushed under the train wheels and he underwent a below-ankle amputation at a nearby hospital.
• The Kalyan Government Railway Police has detained a 16-year-old suspect and filed charges under Sections 307 and 309(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita.
• ‘Fatka’ gangs are known to operate at trackside points, attacking passengers standing at open doors with sticks or stones to seize mobile phones.
• Data from the Government Railway Police show over 26,000 phones stolen on Mumbai’s suburban network since January 2023, prompting officials to review theft trends and boost patrols at high-risk locations.