Mumbai Doctor's Tragic Ordeal: Notorious Train Robber Arrested Four Months After Hand Severed

MUMBAI: A chilling saga of crime and an arduous pursuit of justice has reached a pivotal point in Mumbai, as police have finally apprehended a notorious bag-snatcher four months after a terrifying incident left a young doctor without her hand. The arrest brings a glimmer of relief to the family of Dr.

Amrapali Chavan, 30, whose life was irrevocably altered on a fateful June evening.

The horrific incident unfolded on June 29, 2024, as Dr. Chavan, a dedicated resident doctor, was commuting to her night duty. As her local train approached Charni Road station, a brazen robber targeted her bag. In a brutal snatch-and-run, the perpetrator yanked her bag, causing Dr.

Chavan to lose her balance and fall from the moving train. The impact was catastrophic: her left hand was tragically severed, leaving her in a pool of blood and unimaginable agony.

The perpetrator, now identified as 35-year-old Irfan Shaikh, also known as Irfan Chunnu, is a career criminal with a chilling track record.

His arrest on October 20, 2024, from Govandi by the Government Railway Police (GRP) marks the culmination of a painstaking four-month investigation that tested the resolve of law enforcement.

Following the ghastly incident, the GRP sprang into action, forming an impressive ten dedicated teams to hunt down the elusive culprit.

The challenge was formidable. Shaikh, notorious for his cunning, operated without a mobile phone, making digital tracking nearly impossible. He frequently changed his residence, often disappearing into the sprawling informal settlements of the city. Investigators relied heavily on extensive CCTV footage analysis, technical surveillance of known associates, and a vast network of informants, meticulously piecing together clues to trace his movements.

Shaikh's modus operandi was disturbingly consistent and brutally effective.

He would meticulously scout women commuters carrying bags, particularly targeting them as trains pulled into or departed from stations. With practiced precision, he would snatch their belongings, making a swift escape by jumping off the moving train. This pattern of crime has terrorized commuters for years, and tragically, Dr.

Chavan was not his only victim to suffer severe consequences. Records reveal Shaikh is implicated in at least 25 prior cases of bag snatching, some resulting in grievous injuries, and in one horrifying instance, even the death of a woman.

For Dr. Chavan and her family, the past four months have been an unbearable ordeal.

Beyond the physical trauma of losing a limb, she has endured multiple surgeries and is now undergoing intensive rehabilitation, facing the daunting process of learning to navigate life with a prosthetic hand. The emotional and financial toll on her and her loved ones has been immense. While the arrest of Irfan Shaikh offers a measure of justice and closure, it cannot undo the profound loss and suffering she has endured.

This incident has once again cast a harsh light on the persistent issue of commuter safety on Mumbai's lifeline, its local trains.

As Dr. Amrapali Chavan continues her brave fight for recovery, the apprehension of this dangerous criminal serves as a stark reminder of the vigilance required to protect citizens and the unwavering commitment of law enforcement to bring perpetrators to justice, even in the face of formidable challenges.