Mumbai train robbery: Doctor loses arm trying to save wife from snatcher

MUMBAI: A 50-year-old Ayurvedic doctor lost a part of his arm while trying to save his wife who was being dragged off a long-distance train by a robber early on Wednesday. Yogesh and Deepali Deshmukh, 44, landed on the tracks near Kanjurmarg following the incident. Police said Yogesh's arm was crushed under the train while Deepali, who is also a doctor, suffered bruises. An FIR has been registered by the Govt Railway Police (GRP). The Deshmukhs were travelling to Latur with their nine-year-old daughter to visit a relative. They boarded bogie no. S-4 of the LTT-Nanded Special from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus around 3.35 am. Soon after, they went to sleep. Deepali was on the middle berth while her husband was on the top berth. She had kept her handbag strapped to her shoulder. Around 15 minutes later, the train was between Bhandup and Kanjurmarg stations when an unidentified man approached Deepali's berth. He was well-built and about six feet tall. He tried to snatch Deepali's handbag but she did not let go. According to the police, the robber continued to pull the bag and Deepali got dragged along till the door of the coach. Meanwhile, Yogesh had woken up on hearing the commotion and rushed to his wife's rescue. As the train slowed down, the robber jumped off with her bag. Police said Yogesh tried to save his wife from getting dragged out of the coach, but both of them landed on the tracks. Deepali suffered bruises while a part of Yogesh's left arm was crushed under the train. The robber fled with the stolen bag which contained around Rs 4500, police said. In a statement given to the police subsequently, Deepali said that she managed to get her husband out of the railway premises. She dialled the police emergency number '100' but the couple did not know their location. A milk supplying tempo was passing by and the driver, Anil Jagdale, noticed the couple on the street, asking for help. "I was surprised to find them on a deserted stretch close to the railway tracks near Datar Colony. Not many vehicles pass by that stretch. The couple told me that they were doctors and had been injured in a railway accident," Jagdale recounted.According to Jagdale, Yogesh was conscious and was speaking. "His wife appeared to have bandaged his hand but there was a little bleeding. I rushed them to a private hospital within 15 minutes. Later, after completing my job, I went back to the hospital to check on them," Jagdale said. Yogesh has been admitted to the ICCU and is recovering. GRP officials said the couple's daughter continued to travel in the train till Kalyan where she was safely deboarded by the authorities. "We are analysing CCTV footage from LTT to look for the accused," said a GRP officer.When TOI reached out to Deepali on Thursday, she was not in a position to speak.