MUMBAI: A pickup truck driver was arrested on Thursday for knocking down two teen joggers on Andheri flyover last week, resulting in the death of one of them. Andheri police apprehended Dhananjay Rai (40) from Parel and seized the vehicle which belongs to a transporter.
The accused has been charged under the relevant Indian Penal Code sections for rash driving, causing death due to negligence, and endangering lives. Police said Rai was not booked under the newly enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Section 106 (2) as this provision is currently suspended following protests by transporters. Police will add more IPC sections if any issues are found with the vehicle after an RTO inspection and examination of documents.
The hit-and-run incident took place on June 29, around 5.45am, when Vivek Yadav (18), an 18-year-old computer science student, and his friend Aman Yadav (19), a second-year BMS student, were jogging on Andheri flyover near Gundavali Metro station. Vivek fell from the flyover and died, while Aman survived with multiple fractures to his left leg.
Police narrowed down the search to five vehicles that were caught on CCTV camera at the starting point of the flyover between 5.30am and 6.15am. With the help of tempo drivers, police tracked down the pickup truck, which had the letters ‘R’ and ‘B’ on the front, to Parel.
“As the vehicle’s registration number was not clear on the CCTV camera due to rain, we will utilise GPS data from the truck as evidence, indicating that the driver was on the flyover at the time of the incident,” said a police officer.
Rai claimed that he fled the scene after realising that he had hit two joggers and one of them had fallen from the flyover. He said he delivered goods in Raigad before returning to Mumbai. He was presented before a local court which remanded him in police custody. DCP (zone X) Mangesh Shinde oversaw the probe team, which included ACP Shashikant Bhosale, senior inspector Santaji Ghorpade, and detection staff.
Vivek’s father Dinanath has demanded stringent action against the accused.
The accused has been charged under the relevant Indian Penal Code sections for rash driving, causing death due to negligence, and endangering lives. Police said Rai was not booked under the newly enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Section 106 (2) as this provision is currently suspended following protests by transporters. Police will add more IPC sections if any issues are found with the vehicle after an RTO inspection and examination of documents.
The hit-and-run incident took place on June 29, around 5.45am, when Vivek Yadav (18), an 18-year-old computer science student, and his friend Aman Yadav (19), a second-year BMS student, were jogging on Andheri flyover near Gundavali Metro station. Vivek fell from the flyover and died, while Aman survived with multiple fractures to his left leg.
Police narrowed down the search to five vehicles that were caught on CCTV camera at the starting point of the flyover between 5.30am and 6.15am. With the help of tempo drivers, police tracked down the pickup truck, which had the letters ‘R’ and ‘B’ on the front, to Parel.
“As the vehicle’s registration number was not clear on the CCTV camera due to rain, we will utilise GPS data from the truck as evidence, indicating that the driver was on the flyover at the time of the incident,” said a police officer.
Rai claimed that he fled the scene after realising that he had hit two joggers and one of them had fallen from the flyover. He said he delivered goods in Raigad before returning to Mumbai. He was presented before a local court which remanded him in police custody. DCP (zone X) Mangesh Shinde oversaw the probe team, which included ACP Shashikant Bhosale, senior inspector Santaji Ghorpade, and detection staff.
Vivek’s father Dinanath has demanded stringent action against the accused.
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