Mumbai: A joint operation by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) on Friday led to the arrest of a habitual stone-pelter who had been terrorising Mumbai’s suburban rail commuters with repeated attacks.

The accused, Naushad Ali Abdul Wahid Sheikh, a footpath dweller from Mohammed Ali Road, Bhendi Bazaar, was nabbed near Sewri railway station following a tip-off. His arrest was the result of a coordinated effort involving RPF units from Vadala Road, Dadar, Kurla, and the RPF Crime Branch, along with GRP Vadala Road.

Authorities used CCTV footage and past records to confirm Sheikh’s involvement in multiple stone-pelting cases, with women commuters being the main victims.

During interrogation, Sheikh confessed to several incidents, including a major attack on September 26, 2025, where he hurled a stone at the women’s compartment of a Panvel-bound train, injuring a passenger. He admitted to similar assaults on September 22 and September 18, targeting women’s coaches near Sewri and Vadala Road.

In another shocking case two months ago, he allegedly threw a steel seat frame from a moving train after an altercation with a passenger.

This is not Sheikh’s first arrest. He was earlier booked by RPF Vadala in 2023 and 2024 for stone-pelting and vandalising an Automatic Ticket Vending Machine (ATVM). He had already served jail terms for those offences.

Following his confession in the latest cases, Sheikh was formally arrested under the Railways Act and produced before the 35th Judicial Magistrate (First Class), Railway Court, CSMT on October 3, 2025. He has been remanded to judicial custody and sent to byculla Jail.

Confirming the arrest, Senior Divisional Security Commissioner of Mumbai Division (Central Railway), Rishi Shukla, assured that security measures have been intensified.

“We are fully committed to ensuring the safety and security of all passengers. In light of recent incidents, we have intensified patrolling and surveillance across the suburban network of Mumbai division. Strict action will continue to be taken against those who endanger public safety,” he said.

Mumbai: Bollywood star Akshay Kumar, known for keeping his personal life private, revealed a disturbing incident involving his 13-year-old daughter. Speaking at a cyber awareness program, the actor recounted how an unknown individual tried to target his daughter while she was playing an online video game.

Kumar explained, “A few months ago, my daughter was playing an online game. Some games allow interaction with strangers. While she was playing, she received messages like ‘Thank you,’ ‘That was great,’ ‘You’re doing so well,’ ‘Fantastic’ – very courteous messages that seemed harmless.”

However, the tone soon changed. “Suddenly, the person asked where she was from. She replied, ‘Mumbai.’ The conversation continued politely at first, but then the stranger asked, ‘Are you male or female?’ She answered, ‘Female.’ Shockingly, the stranger then requested her to send nude pictures,” Akshay said.

Nitara immediately closed the game and informed her mother, Twinkle Khanna, about the incident. Akshay praised his daughter’s quick thinking and her decision to share the matter with her parents.

“This is exactly how such incidents start. Children are often trapped online, later extorted for money, and in many cases, these crimes have even led to suicides,” Kumar warned.

The actor urged parents to closely monitor their children’s online activities and stressed the importance of awareness about the dangers on gaming and social platforms.

“Parents must educate their children, supervise online interactions, and teach them how to respond to strangers in digital spaces,” he added.

Mumbai, Oct 4: The Indian equities closed the holiday-shortened week with a positive bias after recent corrections as investors’ confidence was reinforced with the RBI’s growth stance, analysts said on Saturday.

On Friday, Sensex ended the session at 81,207.17, up 223.86 points or 0.28 per cent. Nifty closed at 24,894.25, up 57.95 points or 0.23 per cent. The Nifty extended its pullback for the second straight session, crossing above its key 50-DMA at 24,830 and forming a bullish candle on the daily chart. After last week’s steep decline, the index displayed signs of recovery by closing above the 24,800 mark.

According to market watchers, upgrading the FY26 GDP growth forecast by the RBI to 6.8 per cent and announcing landmark reforms led to outperformance in the banking sector.

“Metals continued their upward momentum, supported by optimism over an anticipated Fed rate cut in October, a softer dollar index, and steady base metal prices,” said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Ltd.

Meanwhile, gold extended its safe-haven appeal, while silver rose on the back of strong industrial demand and supply-side constraints.

Consumer-facing sectors gained momentum on expectations of festive demand, whereas IT and pharma lagged amid the lack of progress on the US-India trade pact, said analysts.

According to a note by Bajaj Broking Research, benchmark indices ended the truncated week on a positive note, posting gains of nearly 1 per cent.

PSU bank stocks were another major contributor, with the Nifty PSU Bank index climbing over 4 per cent for the week. In Friday’s session, metals, PSU banks, and consumer durables led the gains, each rising between 1 per cent and 2 per cent.

Bank Nifty continue to demonstrate notable strength over the past 3-4 sessions. The formation of a bullish candle with a higher high and higher low in the daily chart signals continuation of the positive momentum underpinned by strength in large cap banking stocks.

Looking ahead, market momentum is expected to be supported by strong H2 FY26 earnings and seasonal demand tailwinds, though global trade developments and US policy actions could inject short-term volatility, said analysts.

The Fed’s recent 25-bps rate cut, coupled with prospects of further easing, is likely to bolster FII inflows into emerging markets, they added.