A rickshaw driver died on Sunday, July 28, after being struck by a speeding SUV in front of Anjuman School in Vashi, Navi Mumbai. The driver of the SUV left the scene but was apprehended within hours. Pankaj Dahane, Navi Mumbai`s Deputy Commissioner of Police, told ANI, “The accident was filmed on CCTV cameras, clearly showing the SUV driver speeding and dragging the rickshaw for a substantial distance. The driver fled instead of assisting the victim.”
According to the report, the accident has prompted outrage among residents. There is talk regarding a rivalry between the concerned parties, as the SUV appeared to intentionally run over the rickshaw at great speed.
This accident is one of several recent hit-and-run instances in Maharashtra, which has heightened tensions in the region. On July 9, a 36-year-old woman was murdered in Nashik by a speeding car; the driver was arrested. Similarly, Kaveri Nakhwa, a 45-year-old lady from Worli in Mumbai, was slain on July 7. Mihir Shah, the primary culprit, was caught in Virar on July 9 and brought before the Sewri Court, the ANI report added.
In another incident on May 19, a luxury car driven by a 17-year-old under the influence of alcohol killed two software developers in Pune`s Kalyani Nagar area.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has expressed concern about the surge in hit-and-run occurrences and asked the police to take tough action, ensuring that the guilty are not spared, the report added.
Meanwhile, officials on Monday said that a 28-year-old man, who was injured after being hit by a speeding car, died during treatment. Vinod Lad, a supervisor at a Thane-based enterprise, was pronounced dead on Saturday, July 27 a week after the accident.
On July 20, Vinod was hit by a speeding car on Abdul Gaffar Khan Road, near the Worli Sea Link. Bystanders had transported Lad to the hospital and called the police.
Worli Police have filed a charge against automobile driver Kiran Indulkar. However, shortly after being arrested, Indulkar was granted bail and released from detention.
With PTI inputs
