2 days ago
₹50 Fare Dispute Allegedly Leads to Autorickshaw Driver’s Murder Arrests
Police say two men were arrested after an autorickshaw driver was killed in Navi Mumbai.
The driver was 18-year-old Sujan Kumar Feku Mahato.
The men allegedly argued with him about paying ₹150 instead of ₹100.
They reportedly threatened him and later attacked him near a garden in Vashi.
They then allegedly drove away in his autorickshaw.
Police used CCTV recordings and information from an eyewitness to identify them.
An Aadhaar card found near the scene helped police locate the eyewitness.
The autorickshaw was recovered, but police said the weapon was still missing.
Navi Mumbai Crime Branch arrested Sahil Ananda Surve and Sahil Yashwant Kharat, both 20, over the alleged murder.
Police said 18-year-old autorickshaw driver Sujan Kumar Feku Mahato was attacked near Vashi’s Mini Seashore Garden around 3:36 a.m. on August 29.
The dispute allegedly began when the accused refused to pay the ₹150 fare, saying they had only ₹100.
The suspects allegedly attacked Mahato with sharp weapons and fled in his autorickshaw, which police later recovered.
An eyewitness, CCTV footage and an Aadhaar card found near the crime scene helped investigators trace the accused; the weapon has not been recovered.
- Who
- Police arrested Sahil Ananda Surve and Sahil Yashwant Kharat in connection with the alleged murder of autorickshaw driver Sujan Kumar Feku Mahato.
- What
- Mahato was allegedly attacked and killed after a dispute over an autorickshaw fare, and the suspects allegedly fled in his vehicle.
- Where
- The alleged attack took place near Mini Seashore Garden in Vashi, near Fortis Hospital, after the suspects boarded the autorickshaw near Koparkhairane railway station.
- When
- The attack allegedly occurred around 3:36 a.m. on August 29, after Mahato went out to ferry passengers on the night of August 28.
- Why
- Police said the incident began over a ₹50 difference between the ₹150 fare and the ₹100 the suspects allegedly said they could pay; a later argument followed when Mahato asked them to leave after receiving another passenger’s call.
Key facts
- Victim
- Sujan Kumar Feku Mahato, an 18-year-old autorickshaw driver from Ghansoli.
- Accused arrested
- Sahil Ananda Surve and Sahil Yashwant Kharat, both 20 and residents of Mankhurd.
- Reported fare dispute
- The fare was allegedly ₹150, while the accused reportedly said they had only ₹100.
- Reported location
- Mini Seashore Garden area near Fortis Hospital in Vashi.
- Evidence and leads
- Police cited CCTV footage, an eyewitness account, technical analysis and confidential information.
- Vehicle recovery
- The deceased’s autorickshaw was recovered after the suspects allegedly fled in it.
- Weapon status
- Police said the weapon allegedly used in the attack had not yet been recovered.
Quotes
ACP Bhausaheb Dhole
Assistant Commissioner of Police commenting on the arrests, recovery and investigation
“The accused have a criminal history and hence were carrying weapons. We have successfully traced both accused and recovered the autorickshaw that belonged to the deceased in which they fled after the murder. The weapon used in the crime is yet to be recovered. The accused will be produced before the court on Tuesday.”
freepressjournal.in









