Two persons have been arrested for attacking 24-year-old American national Mitchell Marks with a razor blade and robbing her iPhone on August 18 in a slow Borivali-bound local train between Marine Lines and Charni Road railway stations.
Accused Rajkumar Somnath Tiwari, 31, is a native of Benaras and lives alone on the streets of Mumbai. Tiwari is unmarried and has four cases of robbery against him. Tiwari was externed from the city in 2010 and once prior to it.
According to assistant commissioner, crime branch, S.G. Neklikar, Tiwari landed in their net on Sunday while they were carrying out a special drive to nab robbers. Tiwari was singled out from the 17 drug addicts that were caught on the day of the incident, based on the description provided by Ms Marks.
During interrogation, Tiwari broke down and confessed to his crime. “He told us that he sold off the cellphone to a woman who sold him drugs. We have nabbed the lady as well and investigation is on to find the cellphone of Ms Marks. We will be calling her to identify and corroborate if Tiwari is the accused who robbed her,” added assistant commissioner, Pradeep Bijwe of Churchgate GRP. Tiwari was produced in a magistrate’s court and remanded to police custody till August 30.
Ms Marks came to Mumbai with a group of Americans around 16 months ago and works for an NGO. She was alone in the first class ladies compartment at Marine Lines when Tiwari sneaked into the compartment and tried to pull her purse and iPhone. He attacked her multiple times with a blade when she resisted. He fled even before the train halted at Grant Road station.