“He was in Andheri East and initially planned to return home by cab. However, due to heavy rain and difficulty getting a cab, he changed his plan and boarded a local train from Andheri railway station,” said a police officer who was part of the team that apprehended him at Panvel railway station.

Police said Suvarna has no previous criminal record. Investigators have also learnt that the knife allegedly used in the attack was purchased from a friend a few days before the incident and had remained in his bag since then.

“We will question the friend and ascertain why the accused felt the need to carry a knife,” an officer said.

According to investigators, after allegedly stabbing Mayank Lohar inside the first-class compartment of a Churchgate-Nalasopara fast local, Suvarna jumped off the train as it approached Platform No. 6 at Borivali station and disappeared into the crowd.

With the accused having fled and no immediate identification available, the Borivali Government Railway Police launched an extensive search operation involving multiple teams. Officers began examining CCTV footage from stations across the Western Railway corridor, attempting to piece together the suspect’s movements before and after the crime.

The investigation soon expanded into one of the largest CCTV scans undertaken in a railway crime case in recent months. Police reviewed footage from nearly 400 cameras installed at railway stations and adjoining areas between Churchgate and Nalasopara.

The breakthrough came when investigators managed to obtain clear images of the accused. One of the visuals showed the logo of the company he world at printed on his T-shirt, providing police with their first concrete lead.

Officers then visited the cargo company and confirmed Suvarna’s identity. They also learnt that he worked there with family members and collected details including his residential address and mobile phone number.

Using technical surveillance and location tracking, police began tracing his movements after he fled Borivali station.

Investigators found that Suvarna had first travelled to his residence in Mira Road. According to police, he took an autorickshaw home, bathed and packed a few clothes before preparing to leave the city. He allegedly informed family members that he would return shortly and then booked an Ola cab to Panvel.

Police said Suvarna purchased a ticket for a bus to his native place, Mangaluru, which was scheduled to depart at around 3 pm.

By then, however, investigators had already narrowed down his location.

“A team reached Panvel and at around 2 pm found him sitting at the railway station. He was detained and brought to Borivali GRP, where he was arrested on murder charges,” said Senior Inspector M. Khupekar of Borivali GRP.

An officer involved in the investigation said that even after being detained, Suvarna appeared anxious to know what had happened to the victim.

“We told him that the victim was undergoing treatment in hospital. However, he searched online on his mobile phone and showed us news reports stating that the victim had died. To avoid any disturbance during transit, the officer informed him that the reports and social media posts were incorrect. Only after reaching the police station was he formally informed that he was being arrested for murder,” the officer said. Police said further investigations are under way into the circumstances surrounding the acquisition of the knife.