Mumbai: In a distressing incident at Wadala-Chembur Link Road (WCLR) on Sunday afternoon, a 22-year-old rickshaw driver has been detained by the police for allegedly ramming his autorickshaw into an on-duty traffic cop, severely injuring him.
The victim, Sukdev Karad, 55, is a sub-inspector of police stationed at the Antop Hill traffic division, responsible for traffic management at WCLR. At approximately 12:30 in the afternoon, Karad noticed the accused, Vakas Tayyabali Shaha, 22, driving his autorickshaw towards Ahuja Bridge at WCLR, heading in the restricted northbound direction, which is a violation of traffic rules.
Accused fled the scene after incident
Karad attempted to signal Shaha to turn back, indicating that he was driving in the wrong direction. However, despite the warnings, Shaha continued to drive towards Karad's direction. In an effort to prevent Shaha from proceeding further, Karad stood his ground. Tragically, Shaha rammed his autorickshaw into Karad, causing the traffic cop to fall to the ground.
After the incident, Shaha fled the scene, leaving Karad injured. Karad's colleagues swiftly provided him with medical treatment, and later that day, he registered a case against Shaha at Wadala TT police station.
Recalling the number plate of Shaha's autorickshaw proved instrumental in tracing him down. The police detained Shaha on Monday and placed him in custody. "The procedure for arresting him is on," stated a police official on Monday evening.
A case has been filed against Shaha under sections 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from his duty) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from the discharge of his duty) of the Indian Penal Code, as well as relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act. The authorities are conducting a thorough investigation into the incident to ensure justice is served.
