Title - Drug addict held for train mugging

MUMBAI: A week after American national Michelle Marks was assaulted and robbed on a Western Railway local, the GRP arrested a drug addict, Rajkumar Tiwari (31), in the case. Tiwari was picked up from CST on Sunday during a massive combing operation involving over 1,000 GRP personnel. He told cops that he wanted money to buy his sister a gift for Raksha Bandhan.A female drug peddler, Behru, was also detained. She had bought the iPhone from Tiwari which he stole from Marks, but the phone is yet to be retrieved. Tiwari was booked on five previous occasions for thefts on the Railways. As he was a habitual offender, the CST GRP had twice externed him from the city.On August 18, Tiwari visited a dargah and then went to Marine Lines station. He boarded the first-class ladies compartment of a running local on spotting Marks alone. His intention was to steal but when Marks resisted, he assaulted her. "Tiwari bought a blade for Re 1 and hid it in his fingernail. He later led our officers to the shop from where he bought it," said DCP Bansidhar Shirsat.

After attacking Marks, Tiwari jumped off the local at Charni Road but had a bad fall. He hurt his head, right elbow and waist, so he got himself treated at a private clinic. The same day, he went to Behru, who regularly sold him drugs. Both Behru and Tiwari live on P D'Mello Road. Behru paid him Rs 300 for the iPhone and offered to pay the rest in drugs. Next day, Tiwari bought clothes for Rs 100 from Chor Bazaar and changed in a public lavatory. By then, cops were already looking for him.

"We conducted a week-long drive between Churchgate-Mumbai Central on WR and CST-Thane on CR. Over 150 drug addicts were picked up and questioned," said ACP Pradeep Bijwe, adding, "The drive will not halt after Tiwari's arrest and will go on for a month."

Based on a description provided by Marks, the GRP prepared a sketch of the accused. Two distinctive features helped police narrow down their search-Tiwari's light-coloured eyes and an old wound on his nose. However, Marks is yet to formally identify Tiwari. She communicated to the cops that she will take at least another two weeks to recover.

A railway court on Monday remanded Tiwari to police custody till August 30. Incidentally, Tiwari told police that he couldn't collect enough money to return to his hometown in time for Rakhi.