On Thursday, February 8, the Central Railway authorities informed that they had apprehended Mohammed Owais who had been stealing bathroom fixtures from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) since Saturday. He was caught red-handed at 1 am on Wednesday.
The accused has stolen bathroom fittings worth Rs 1.22 lakhs from toilets and bathrooms in running rooms and public toilets including the recently opened AC toilet at CSMT station between February 5 and 6.
Additionally, the scrap dealers who bought the fittings from the accused have also been detained.
Dr Swapnil Nila, the Central Railway (CR) Chief Public Relations Officer said, “We caught the thief while he was stealing from the local line. He couldn’t enter the AC toilet as it was locked, so he entered the old toilet where he was seen stealing fittings.”
Another officer also divulged some details of the haul. “It started on Saturday with thefts in the running room toilets. The running room is where train drivers and guards take breaks. Eight bibcocks, nine stopcocks and two jet sprays were stolen. On Monday, three pillarcocks were stolen from the ladies’ toilet and one each from gents’ and new AC toilet,” he said.
“On Tuesday, the new running room was targeted and two more bibs and stopcocks and several jet sprays were stolen. From the mainline gents’ toilet, bottle traps went missing and then the new AC toilet on local line was targeted with six jet sprays, pillar and bibcocks, jet holders and bottle traps stolen and seat covers missing,” he added.
Notably, the Railway officials sprung to action after social media user @mumbaimatterz took to the microblogging site X to highlight the issue.
Posting a picture of missing taps and facets from the recently inaugurated AC toilet block on the main concourse area opposite platforms 5-6 on the suburban line, he wrote, “Dear @drmmumbaic @RailMinIndia Taps & pipe fittings at the “State of the Art Toilet” at CSMT being systematically stolen by the staff. @GM_CRly have a look at during one of your “Surprise” visits. Remember Mumbai Madgaon Tejas express, staff was caught stealing the fittings”.
Five to seven lakh people travel through the CSMT station every day, including those who ride the suburban trains that connect Karjat, Kasara, Panvel, and Goregaon stations to CSMT on the Main and Harbour lines.