Mumbai: Newly Licensed 18-Year-Old Booked For Rash Driving After Hitting ST Bus Conductor In Parel

Mumbai: A Kalachowki-based 18-year-old student has been booked by the police for rash driving, which resulted in injuries to an ST bus conductor near Mumbai Veterinary College in Parel on Sunday evening.

The victim has been identified as 44-year-old Krushna Dhawade, a resident of Kalewadi, Kalachowki, and a conductor at the Parel ST depot. According to the Kalachowki Police, Dhawade had traveled to his sister's house in Jogeshwari on Sunday to celebrate Bhai Dooj and returned by evening. He first stopped at the Parel ST depot to collect his bag and then boarded bus number 201, deboarding at Parel Village bus stop around 9:30 pm. While walking toward the Kalewadi area, he was struck from behind by a Toyota Corolla.

In his statement, Dhawade recounted that the driver, identified as Saumit Jain, was driving recklessly. Jain allegedly took a sudden turn from Nandivan Ashram, and as the car approached the gate of Mumbai Veterinary College, it struck Dhawade. The impact caused Dhawade to fall due to the vehicle’s high speed, and, rather than stopping immediately, the front left wheel ran over his right foot, injuring his toes.

A Kalachowki police van stationed nearby immediately transported Dhawade to KEM Hospital for treatment, while the driver, Jain, was escorted to the Kalachowki Police Station. Jain, who resides in Muthliya Residency, a high-rise tower on Dattaram Lad Marg in Parel’s Lalbaug area, is the son of Sheetalkumar Jain. The accused had obtained his driving license in June this year.

Based on Dhawade’s statement, an FIR was registered against Jain under sections 125(a) (act endangering life or personal safety of others: hurt) and 281 (rash driving or riding on a public way) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Since the punishment under both sections is less than seven years, Jain was released after being issued a notice.