Mumbai: A three-hour-long hostage drama ended in Navi Mumbai’s Panvel on Wednesday night with the safe rescue of five persons, including a 16-year-old girl, and the arrest of a 35-year-old murder convict. The matter came to light late on Thursday evening after the Navi Mumbai Police Commissionerate revealed details.
According to the police, Siban Babulal Mahato, a murder convict out on bail, barged into a rented flat (No 401) in a building named Mangala Nivas around 8.30 pm on Wednesday. Armed with a sickle and an axe, he held his mother, brother and three other relatives hostage inside the flat. This was over a long-standing property dispute, the police came to know later.
The police first tried to negotiate but talks failed. The door was then forced open with the help of the fire brigade and the police team attempted to disarm him by using chilli spray. Using lethal weapons was not an option, given the closed space and the presence of hostages.
“He pressed a sickle to his 16-year-old niece’s throat, warning officers at the door that he would kill her if they entered the flat. Naik Samrat Daki and constable Sainath Mokal displayed extraordinary courage by acting swiftly and overpowering the accused when he was distracted amidst the chaos,” a police official said.
Four police personnel were injured while trying to overpower Mahato. Naik Ravindra Pardhi suffered deep wounds to his shoulder and arm, while constables Madhav Shewale and Sainath Mokal suffered multiple injuries. Naik Samrat Daki was severely hurt on his hand while blocking a blow. All four were rushed to the Panvel Sub-District Hospital.
A case has been lodged against Mahato under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for attempt to murder, causing grievous hurt to public servants, wrongful confinement, kidnapping and criminal intimidation. Sections 4 and 25 of the Arms Act were also added, the police said.
The police said Mahato was convicted in a 2018 murder case but had been released on bail on August 28, pending an appeal. The dispute stemmed from a claim that his mother owned the plot on which the building now stands. Mahato claimed that the builder had usurped the land and demanded the building be vacated.
“The standoff was “nerve-wracking”. Our officers risked their lives to ensure the hostages were saved without harm. Their bravery deserves the highest recognition,” DCP Prashant Mohite said.
The police have launched an inquiry and is examining travel and phone records as well as questioning the building staff and neighbours.
