Mumbai Local Train Murder: Maharashtra Assembly Demands Government Statement on Safety

Opposition parties in the Maharashtra Assembly on Thursday raised the murder of a commuter on a Mumbai suburban train, prompting Speaker Rahul Narwekar to direct the state government to make a statement on the incident in the House on June 29.

Congress MLA Nana Patole termed the incident “extremely serious” and said it concerned the safety of ordinary citizens travelling on Mumbai’s suburban rail network, which ferries nearly 80 lakh commuters daily. He demanded a discussion on the safety and security of train users.

Mr. Patole said the victim’s family had suffered immense trauma and stressed that justice should be delivered swiftly. “It is unfortunate that such a grave incident has taken place in Mumbai despite security measures being in place. The government should immediately investigate the matter and inform the House about the action taken,” he said.

Responding to the concerns, Speaker Narwekar said the incident warranted the government’s attention. “Considering the seriousness of the issue and the concerns expressed by members across the House, the government should present a statement on Monday (June 29) detailing the facts of the incident, the progress of the investigation and the measures being taken,” Mr. Narwekar said.

The issue was raised after the murder of a 22-year-old passenger, Mayank Lohar, on a moving Mumbai local train on Tuesday night. The accused, Sachin Ramesh Suvarna (30), allegedly stabbed Mr. Lohar during an argument over whether the train doors should be kept open amid the rains. The incident occurred between Andheri and Borivali railway stations in the western suburbs. Hours later, Mr. Suvarna, a resident of Mira Road, was arrested at Panvel in Navi Mumbai, according to the Government Railway Police.