Akola (Maharashtra): Former MLA Tukaram Bidkar (73) and another person were killed in a road accident in Maharashtra's Akola, on Thursday. Their two-wheeler was hit by a pickup vehicle in the Shivni area around 3:30 pm, according to reports quoting police.
Bidkar, who was riding pillion, was critically injured and taken to a private hospital, where he was declared dead. The rider, Rajdatta Mankar (48), also lost his life in the accident, PTI reported.
CCTV Shows Exact Moment Of Collision
A CCTV video of the accident has surfaced online, showing the moment the pickup truck hit the two-wheeler on a busy highway. The impact caused the truck to flip onto its side, dragging it further along the road. Both Bidkar and Mankar were seen lying motionless after the crash, while bystanders rushed to help.
Bidkar was returning home after meeting Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule at the airport in Shivni when the accident occurred. The MIDC police in Akola have arrested the truck driver, Mohammad Sahil Abdul Shahid (25) and are in the process of registering an FIR against him.
Who Was Tukaram Bidkar?
Bidkar was a former MLA of the undivided Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and represented the Murtizapur assembly constituency from 2004 to 2009. He also served as the chairman of the Vidarbha Development Corporation and was previously a Zilla Parishad member.
Apart from politics, Bidkar was involved in cultural and social work. He produced a Marathi film, Debu, based on the life of Saint Gadge Maharaj, a social reformer who advocated cleanliness, de-addiction and the rejection of blind faith.
