Mumbai: Dr. Meghali Bhattacharjee (53) , an eye surgeon at the Shanmukhananda Charitable Community Health Centre at Matunga, was killed after an iron gate came crashing on her head after a speeding Omni van collided against it on Friday evening. The incident occurred in front of the Centre on Bhaudaji Road extention.
The victim’s elderly mother, Biba Bhattacharjee (78), registered a complaint against the Omni van’s driver –Suresh Harisingh Bogati (32) – a resident of Sion Koliwada, who was arrested and almost immediately released on bail.
According to Biba, an Andheri resident, she and her sister Shubra had made an appointment at Dr. Meghali’s eye clinic for a routine checkup. Between 4:30 pm and 5:30 pm, when Ms Biba and Ms Shubra got out of the clinic, they were waiting for Dr Meghali to step out as well – as they had planned to go back home at Andheri together. The deceased's husband is a general manager at ONGC and they have two children.
“While we three were waiting inside the compound, we heard a loud thud and seconds later, a white colour Omni van crashed the iron gate which fell in our direction,” said Ms Biba, who added that the major part of the huge iron gate fell on Dr Meghali’s head. The van was being such a high speed that it broke the strong iron gate into two. Ms Biba and Ms Shubra sustained minor injuries on their legs and arms.
The staff of Dr Meghali’s clinic heard the loud noise and came rushing. All three were taken to Kikabhai Hospital in Sion but Dr Meghali was not gaining consciousness, said Biba, adding that then the profusely bleeding doctor was shifted to Hinduja Hospital for critical care. Unfortunately, due to her head injuries and heavy loss of blood, Dr. Meghali was declared dead at 6.46 pm on Friday.
All this while, the driver of the Omni didn’t run away, and cooperated with the police officials present at the spot. The driver Bogati told the police that despite trying to hit the brakes of Omni, the vehicle didn’t stop and he realized he had lost control of his vehicle. As to not hit anyone, he rammed into the iron gate, and unfortunately, the women were on the other side of the gate. Bogati mostly delivered goods in his Omni van and on that day, he was delivering Vada Pavs to someone, he told the police.
Bogati was booked by the Sion Police under sections 304A (death caused due to negligence), 279 (rash driving), 336 (reckless or negligent action that puts human life in danger or threatens personal safety), among others of the Indian Penal Code and section 184 (driving dangerously) of the Motor Vehicles Act. He was presented in court on Saturday morning which released him on bail as the offences were all bailable.
