Mumbai: Singing beggar has swiped at least 25 phones in trains

Shabbir Amirjan Shaikh is a resident of Nalasopara

The Bandra police have arrested a 32-year-old man involved in more than 25 mobile theft cases on Mumbai local trains. The accused, identified as Shabbir Amirjan Shaikh, is a resident of Nalasopara who sings and begs on trains. Shaikh's modus operandi involved entering trains while singing songs and begging, and stealing phones in the crushing crowd during the peak hours of 6 pm to 8 pm.

Shaikh is a wanted accused in more than 25 cases registered across railway police stations including Wadala, Dadar, Vasai, Borivli, Kurla, Andheri
and Bandra.

Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) AB Sadigal of Bandra Government Railway Police (GRP) said, "On November 18, the accused entered a Virar train from Dadar station and stole an iPhone belonging to a college student. The accused took advantage of the crowded train during rush hours. We identified Shaikh as the accused by checking the CCTV camera footage at Dadar railway station. He was caught on the CCTV camera while entering the train at Dadar. We then traced him and arrested him from Dadar railway station on Saturday, December 9," ASI Sadigal said.

A police officer added, "Shaikh is a habitual offender who commits crimes between 6 pm to 8 pm in Virar and Panvel-bound local trains. He sings and begs for money on trains and in the evening, also steals mobile phones. He has been arrested many times."

In the past, Shaikh has been arrested five times by the Wadala GRP, five times by Dadar GRP, four times by Vasai GRP, thrice by Andheri GRP, twice by Kurla GRP, and once each by Borivli and Bandra GRP.

Nov 18
Day mobile theft was reported to Bandra GRP