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Mumbai train stabbing: Family says passengers filmed instead of stopping attack
Had the other travellers got together and overpowered the accused, he could have been caught on the spot. Instead, they were busy taking videos of the incident, said the victim's father
- PUBLISHED: Thu 25 Jun 2026, 3:08 PM
Relatives of a youth who was stabbed to death in a Mumbai train are shocked that many of the 50 passengers who were present in the compartment were busy taking videos of the killing instead of nabbing the killer and preventing the crime.
The victim, Mayank Lohar, 20, lived with his parents and brothers in Virar, an extended suburb, and was in a compartment when it was raining late on Tuesday night, when a dispute arose between him and Roshan Suvarna, 30.
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Local reports said Lohar wanted the doors to be closed as rainwater was entering the compartment, but Suvarna insisted they stay open. Other passengers also wanted the doors shut.
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An enraged Suvarna, who was reportedly drunk, allegedly pulled out a knife and rushed towards Lohar, stabbed him on the chest and stomach a few times before jumping off the train as it reached Borivali station in northwest Mumbai around 11pm.
The police was able to arrest Suvarna on Wednesday as he was waiting to board a bus at Panvel on the outskirts of Mumbai, heading to his hometown in Mangaluru, Karnataka.
“Had the other travellers got together and overpowered the accused, he could have been caught on the spot. Instead, they were busy taking videos of the event.” said Ramesh Lohar, Mayank’s father, who was shattered by the killing of his son.
Mayank’s weeping mother also demanded the strictest punishment for the killer. “I want my son back,” she cried. “He never created any trouble and was an ideal son.”
The police launched a massive investigation immediately after the crime and examined CCTV footage across railway stations, tracking Suvarna’s journey. Footage from 400 cameras at railway stations along the Western Railway were reviewed and in one of them they came across a logo of the firm on Suvarna’s T-shirt. They visited the company and got details including his home address and mobile number.
Authorities also deployed location tracking and soon found that Suvarna had travelled to his home at Mira Road, close to Borivali. He then bought a ticket for a bus to Mangaluru, which was to leave in the afternoon from Panvel. The police found him there, waiting for the bus. He was brought to Mumbai and arrested on charges of killing Mayank.
