Mumbai: In a tragic hit-and-run incident involving a BMW, a 33-year-old man lost his life, and his friend sustained critical injuries - both were affiliated with the renowned ‘Mulundcha Raja’ Ganpati Mandal. Senior police officials have now indicated that charges of negligence against top members of the mandal were under consideration due to a lack of safety measures for workers.
The police noted that the tragedy might have been prevented if the victims had not been positioned in the middle of the road, highlighting a dual aspect of negligence involving both the driver and the mandal workers. However, the police have refrained from pressing charges due to the ongoing Ganeshotsav festivities.
The incident occurred on Saturday, September 7, around 4 am, amid heavy rainfall. Shakti Aulakh, 32, a resident of Mulund West, had taken his BMW for a test drive after getting it back from service the previous day. Unable to sleep, Aulakh decided to go for a drive to pass the time. While driving along the 90-feet road in the Gavanpada area of Mulund East, he approached a curve that turns left.
“The curve is dangerous, even in clear weather, let alone in the rain,” said a senior police official. The deceased, Pritam Thorat, 33, was standing on a scaffolding ladder along with his friend, Prasad Patil, 38, when the accident occurred. Both were putting up a banner without any safety assistance. "The mandal should have had someone guide traffic or requested a barricade from us (police). If precautions had been taken, the vehicle would have struck the barricade instead of the ladder, and lives could have been saved,” the official added.
Thorat died on the spot after the BMW struck the ladder, causing both men to fall. Thorat sustained fatal head injuries, while Patil was rushed to multiple hospitals before being admitted to Jupiter Hospital. Doctors have reported that Patil suffered serious injuries to his spine, back, and legs, leaving him in a vegetative state. He remains on ventilator support, with slim chances of recovery.
“We initially considered booking the mandal authorities, as the accident could have been prevented with basic safety measures. The ladder was positioned at the end of the divider, almost in the middle of the road, before the curve began. Regardless of the time, traffic discipline and caution are essential. A guide near the ladder could have avoided this tragedy. However, due to the sensitive nature of the ongoing Ganpati festival, we refrained from pressing charges,” said a senior police officer.
