Candlelight March In Navi Mumbai Seeks Justice For Palm Beach Road Victims

Navi Mumbai: Families of Prashant Jamdade and Harman Kaur, who were killed in a hit-and-run accident on Palm Beach Road, held a candlelight march at Shivaji Chowk in Vashi on Monday, demanding that the case be investigated by the Crime Branch or CID and that the accused be charged with murder.

The protest, attended by relatives, friends and local residents, saw participants alleging that the incident was not an accident but a deliberate act by 'children of influential individuals.' They also raised concerns over the handling of the investigation by the police.

Social worker K. Kumar questioned the police’s role, claiming that the accused may have been under the influence of drugs. He alleged that police delayed collecting their blood samples by three days, potentially allowing crucial evidence to be destroyed, and accused authorities of attempting to weaken the chargesheet to shield the accused. He warned of an indefinite hunger strike outside the Police Commissioner’s office if murder charges are not invoked within 15 days.

Prashant Jamdade’s father, Vijay Jamdade, said his son was the sole breadwinner of the family and accused the perpetrators of running over the victims and fleeing without offering help. “If they were poor, strict action would have been taken by now. We are not getting justice because we are poor,” he said, adding that he would consider ending his life along with his family if justice is delayed.

The families have demanded that the probe be transferred from Sanpada Police to either the Mumbai Crime Branch or CID, that Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) be invoked instead of accidental death provisions, and that all investigation documents and CCTV footage be made available to them.

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According to police, Kaur had been riding pillion on a motorcycle driven by 23-year-old Prashant Vijay Jamdade, a resident of Koparkhairane, when the accident occurred between Sarsole junction and Moraj Circle on March 3. Jamdade had allegedly lost control of the bike, following which two cars — a Skoda and a Maruti Brezza — ran over him within seconds, killing him on the spot. Kaur sustained critical injuries in the incident and succembed on March 19.

The drivers of the two vehicles, identified as Sagar Sanda (23), an accountant, and Krishna Ravaria (20), a student, both residents of Ghansoli, allegedly fled the scene without stopping to help the victims. Police had earlier identified the vehicles using CCTV footage from nearby junctions.

Jamdade’s father is a rickshaw driver, and the 23-year-old had recently started working in a trading job, police said. Meanwhile Kaur lives with her mother who was seperated from her husban