Trailer driver murdered on Mumbai-Nashik highway in Bhiwandi; steel theft suspected

A 35-year-old trailer driver, Pawan Kumar Mahto from Muzaffarpur, Bihar, was allegedly murdered on the Mumbai-Nashik Highway in Bhiwandi early Sunday morning. Mahto was transporting steel reinforcement bars from Jalna to Mumbai when he stopped near the Rajnoli flyover around 2:30 am. Police believe unidentified men approached him in an attempted robbery or theft of the steel cargo. When he resisted, they attacked him with a sharp-edged weapon, causing multiple injuries, before fleeing the scene.

Bloodstains were found inside the trailer and on the road. Mahto was rushed to a private hospital but died during treatment. The Kongaon police registered a murder case, and his body was sent for post-mortem examination. Investigators suspect a gang operating along the highway may be stealing steel bars from trucks. Crime scene evidence is being examined to identify the attackers.