14 September,2020 07:37 AM IST | Mumbai | Shirish Vaktania
A CCTV grab shows the barrier (circled) falling onto the bike which came in the way of the truck
The family of a man killed in an accident, and social workers, have appealed to the police to act against the contractor who placed a barricade that allegedly caused the mishap. The police had initially arrested the driver of a truck under whose vehicle the man and his friend were crushed.
The family and social workers claimed the accident was caused when an MMRDA barricade fell on the bike that the man and his friend were riding, and the truck driver was innocent. An MMRDA official, however, claimed the barricade belongs to a contractor who is to start work on the subway.
The Samata Nagar police had arrested the truck driver, Bablu Yadav, for negligence after the accident on the Western Express Highway at Kandivli on Saturday.
He was released on bail on Sunday. While Manoj Pawar, 28, was killed, Prashant Ambekar, 26, has been admitted to the Shatabdi Hospital and is critical.
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Speaking to mid-day, Pawar's father Kashiram said, "My son had gone to Borivli to collect a bike part and while returning, near Samata Nagar, a barricade kept on the highway suddenly fell on his friend's bike. Prashant was riding and my son Manoj was seated pillion. My son was crushed under the truck's wheel. It is negligence on the part of the MMRDA contractor who put up the barricade, and the truck driver is innocent. The incident was captured in the CCTV camera installed on the highway. The barricades should be kept properly on every road to avoid such incidents."
Ambekar's friend Satish said, "The truck driver is not at fault. The police should arrest the contractor and his staff who is responsible for this incident."
Sachin Pawar of the Patit Pavan Kamgar Sangh said, "It is negligence on the part of the Metro officials and contractor. We have written to the police to take action."
However, an MMRDA official said, "It is a very unfortunate incident. The barricades are not for Metro work but belong to the contractor who was to commence subway work."
The Samata Nagar police have registered the case under section 304 (culpable homicide) of IPC and say they will act against the MMRDA. "We have registered the case against MMRDA officials and the truck driver. It is a bailable offence and he was released on bail. We will take action against the concerned MMRDA official soon," Senior Inspector Raju Kasbe of Samata Nagar police station said.
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