Mumbai: For any developed city in the world, the first priority in terms of mobility infrastructure planning is always pedestrians, followed by cyclists, public transport and then private vehicles. In India’s financial capital, not only has this order been reversed, but being a pedestrian, cyclist or two-wheeler driver is tantamount to wishing for death.
The horrific accident that took place in Kurla earlier this month, when a BEST bus mowed down several pedestrians and vehicles on a narrow, crowded road, killing nine people and injuring 40 others, is only This is just the beginning. At least 298 people died and 1,671 others were injured in 2,271 road accidents in Mumbai this year.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Anil Kumbhare said, “Many accidents involve heavy or public and utility vehicles, where drivers are often seen careless or untrained.” The same appears to be the case in the Kurla accident, with police saying the driver did not receive adequate training to drive an electric bus. In a country where it was enough to run a circle around a field to get a driving license, this was par for the course.
Although the Kurla disaster is still in the daily news cycle to some extent due to its novelty, it will not be long before it becomes just another entry in the statistical log. In a city of more than 21 million people and growing, the victims of the tragedy, like all the others, will soon be forgotten.
Survivors of road accidents and families of victims are not so lucky. The accident is likely to stay with them for the rest of their lives, whether physically or mentally. Hindustan Times spoke to four families whose lives were turned upside down due to reckless driving in recent months, to know how they are dealing with it and the status of the investigation.
All of them are still waiting for justice.
Pinaki Dey, 59:
Despite being a Bengali, Pinaki Dey hated fish curry. To tease him, his wife Reema used to pick up something from his plate with her fish-like fingers. “I want to remember him dancing at our get-togethers, organizing parties, being the life of social gatherings. Our fights, our Tom and Jerry relationship… those are the only memories I have of our 32 year old marriage. I don’t know how I will survive without him, but I have to fight to get him justice,” said Reema.
A jovial, gregarious foodie who was the life of every party and loved by everyone who knew him, Pinaki was about to cross a road in South Mumbai to grab dinner on October 23, when A motorcycle driven by a minor boy hit him. The accident occurred outside the Sir HN Reliance Foundation in Girgaum, where Reema was admitted for surgery at the time.
“Pinaki hated hospital food,” Reema said. “I asked him to eat in the (hospital) canteen, but he insisted on eating something outside. “He didn’t even get his last meal.” Dey was kept on life support for two days before he passed away. “He always came back to stay in my bed after dinner, but that day he didn’t come back,” she said.
Reema, who is still recovering from her surgery, said the minor boy driving the motorcycle was only given an appearance notice and let go, while the owner of the bike has been made a co-accused in the case. “For years now, I have had to fight to get justice and get the money my husband is owed, and his murderer got a slap on the wrist just because he is a minor.”
Reema remembered the moment she heard about her husband’s accident. “I cried over my misfortune that I was unable to get out of bed because of my surgery, unaware that at that exact moment he was struggling on the street, bleeding profusely, with those stupid idiots looking at him, Who made videos instead of helping him,” she said.
He said he’s heard mothers take pride in their teenage sons and daughters being able to drive. “But they don’t realize that a family is torn apart if their inexperienced underage driver kills someone.”
Dixit Rajput, 27:
After losing his elder brother in an accident, 26-year-old Vivek Rajput is still searching for evidence proving negligence to catch his killer.
His brother, Dixit Rajput, was returning home after taking dinner for his family when he was hit by a BEST bus near Shivaji Nagar Junction in Govandi on December 15. “We always ate together and despite attending parties and get-togethers, Dixit always ate with us. ,” Vivek said.
Recalling the day of the accident, Vivek said, “I got a call from my mother at around 12.30 in the night. A police officer who called informed him that my brother had met with an accident. By the time we reached the hospital, doctors had declared him dead.”
Although the police booked the BEST bus driver, Vinod Rankhambe, 39, under a case of culpable homicide and arrested him soon after the incident, he was later released on bail. Police investigation is going on, while Vivek is doing his own investigation.
“I checked the CCTV footage of the area and there was no surveillance video of that particular location, but it is clear that the driver suddenly increased the speed after stopping at the bus stop. After the accident, the driver applied brakes while crossing a distance of more than 20 meters from the accident site, due to which Dixit bled to death,” he said.
Dixit was a member of the non-teaching staff at a prestigious college in Vidyavihar and was very popular among students due to his dedication and commitment to work, his brother said. Dixit had left his studies so that he could support the family financially. “As an elder brother, he has sacrificed a lot for me. And now, I just have his bike to remember him by. The bike is also with the police as the RTO has not yet completed its investigation,” said Vivek.
Vivek said that his brother was always the obedient one among the two siblings and was the apple of his mother’s eye. “He was my lifeline,” said Dixit’s mother Lakshmi. “I’m still looking at the door, hoping that someday he will come in. Due to the negligence of one person our family lost our precious son.”
Vipul Panchal, 44:
“My life changed completely within a few seconds,” said Vipul Panchal, who survived a horrific accident on the Eastern Express Highway on December 14.
The 44-year-old man was returning home from Navi Mumbai to Kandivali on his motorcycle when the driver of a large trailer truck carrying an earth piling machine lost control of the vehicle while descending from the Pant Nagar bridge. The 44 ton machine fell on Panchal from the trailer, amputating his left leg below the knee.
Lying on the hospital bed, Panchal said, “I will no longer be able to ride my bike and will have to depend on it forever until I get an artificial leg.” “I should be supporting my family, not the other way around.”
The trailer driver was given a notice to appear before the police for investigation and was let go. “They told us that the steering wheel of the trailer had jammed, due to which the crane tilted and the machine fell. We are still waiting for the report of the RTO, which examined the health of the vehicle,” said Yogesh Chinchole, police sub-inspector of Deonar police station.
Panchal’s family does not agree with the trailer driver’s story. “If the steering wheel was jammed and the crane tilted, why didn’t the trailer cabin tilt?” said Nilesh Panchal, Vipul’s cousin and business partner. “The driver did not suffer any injuries, which shows that it was his negligence and not any fault. As soon as he fell, a weight of 44 tonnes fell on Vipul’s left leg. His right leg was saved only because it was under his bike.”
Poonam Kharwa, 36:
Sahil Kharwa said, “Every day, I stand at the same spot and remember that terrible incident and watch my mother die in pain.” “I try to forget it, but the crying faces of my sister and brother keep reminding me of that incident again and again.”
At the age of 14, Sahil was left to care for himself and his three younger siblings after his mother, Poonam, died in an accident in August. The family of five – Poonam and her four children – were homeless and lived under the Elphinstone flyover near Kamala Mills in Lower Parel. On August 2, when Poonam was crossing the road, she was run over by an SUV taking a U-turn.
According to the police, 28-year-old software engineer Akshay Kishore Patel, who had only a learner’s license, was driving the car. The car, a Tata Punch, belonged to his colleague Harshita Ahuja, who was in the passenger seat. Patel was charged with careless driving and given a notice to appear for investigation. The police is now preparing the charge sheet against the driver.
Poonam used to make flower garlands, which Sahil used to sell in Lower Parel area. Now, the 14-year-old has been left to fend for herself and her three younger siblings. “I’m very young, and no one is willing to hire me yet. Now, I sell Christmas caps and other decorations at traffic signals to feed my brothers and sisters,” said Sahil.
“My mother earned at least 600 per day, which was enough to feed us, and he also saved some amount. Now we have nothing left. I leave my siblings at my uncle’s house in Tardeo and come to this place to sell Christmas hats, and just make 300-400 per day,” he said.
Sahil, who is trying to put Roshni and Aamir in a government school to secure their future, wants justice for his mother. “He is not here to speak, but I am and will continue to fight until the accused is punished for his negligence.”
