Mumbai Peer pressure seems to be a common problem as a 17-year-old boy was arrested on Sunday for snatching a commuter’s gold chain inside a local train last week, apparently to prove his abilities and join a gang of habitual offenders.
According to Borivali government railway police (GRP), the teenager, who is a resident of Goregaon East, is a school dropout and stays with his parents. On June 3, the boy, along with his friend, visited Dadar at night, looking for a potential target.
Even after trying most of the night, he could not find someone to try his skills and impress his friends, who are small-time robbers. Hence, the duo boarded a train from Dadar station at 5.10 am towards Borivali.
Anil Kadam, senior police inspector of Borivali GRP, said that the teenager spotted the victim, M Hussain, who was asleep. When the train reached Goregaon station, the boy snatched the chain worth ₹80,000 and jumped off and fled.
The victim approached the Borivali GRP and registered a complaint. “We scanned the CCTV footage and found the teenager fleeing the station and getting into an autorickshaw,” added Kadam. The police then tracked down the auto driver and questioned him on where he had dropped off the boy. When they figured out his drop location, they showed his photo around to find his whereabouts.
“Our officers landed at the doorstep of the accused and detained him. Since he is underage, we have sent him to the children’s home,” the officer added.