Mumbai : The civic body is all set to appoint a hit-and-run accused, whose case is on in the Goregaon court, as the chief fire officer.
After the demise of chief fire officer Sunil Nesrikar, following burn injuries that he sustained in the Gokul Nivas fire in Kalbadevi, deputy fire officer Prabhatkumar Rahandale was the claimant for the post.
The BMC has drafted a proposal to elevate Rahandale as the chief fire officer, but it yet to be approved in the general body meeting.
On December 21, 2005, Rahandale was involved in an accident: he allegedly rammed his car into an auto rickshaw at Goregaon, following which the auto driver Janaiprasad Rambahadur Sharma died.
According to Omprakash Bahadur Goda, the complainant in the case, Rahandale left Sharma on the road and fled from the site.
The police filed a complaint with Goregaon Magistrate against Rahandale on April 1, 2006, under the section 304(A) 134 (A) of the Motor Vehicle Act. The case is still pending before the court and the next hearing is scheduled on July 1. Anil Galagali, an RTI activist, has requested the civic administration not to appoint the officer till the case is disposed of.
Speaking to FPJ, Rahandale said, “Though there is a case against me in the court, it was just an accident and I didn’t commit a crime.”
‘‘When I leave for a rescue operation, nobody stops me from saving lives of people, and certainly not because I was involved in a road accident. So why is the question being raised now,” he asked.
