Chased with sticks, mentally unstable man stabs two children in Byculla

Mumbai: A mentally unstable man, who was being chased with sticks, stabbed two children, aged 9 and 10, in Byculla on Friday evening. Police said that the accused got afraid when people started chasing him to drive him away and entered a tuition teacher’s house, where he stabbed one girl. Although the teacher managed to escape with the girl, the accused managed to lock her younger brother inside the house and slash his neck. He was also trying to burn down the house but the police managed to enter the house and rescue the boy before the man could do any more damage. The accused has been arrested. The siblings have been admitted to Masina Hospital and are out of danger, said police.
According to the Byculla police, they got a call around 5 pm about a mentally unstable man entering a house at Heramb Darshan society in Ghodpdeo area of Byculla East. The police were also told that a nine-year-old boy, Raj Shankar Singh Rathod who had come to the tuition was held captive by the accused.
“We learnt that the house had a window, and the iron grilles of the window could be opened. The accused had kept the gas knob open and was lighting a match to burn down the house. But as the window was open, the gas was going out and so it was not catching fire. Our constable jumped inside the house via the window and caught hold of the accused. The child was sitting in one corner of the house,” said an officer from Byculla police station.
According to the police, they learnt that the accused came to Mumbai from Orissa three days ago and worked as a painter. He was staying in a shared room in Fort. On Friday evening, he lost his way and reached Byculla. Seeing his dishevelled appearance, people perceived him as a threat and started chasing him with sticks to drive him away, said cops.
“He was trying to hide somewhere and entered the house of Jayshree Gorde, a tuition teacher,” said the police officer. After entering Gorde’s house, he saw a 10-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy, who had come for tuitions. When Patel stabbed the girl, identified as Janu Rathod on the neck, the tuition teacher managed to escape with her outside, however the boy Raj was held captive by the accused.
A case has been registered against the accused for attempt to murder, house trespass and act endangering life and personal safety of others.