27 April,2010 09:21 AM IST | | Debarati Palit
Tarka Shivpurkar returned to the spot where she had parked her father's car near a bank in Shivaji Nagar yesterday to find a smashed cripple that looked vaguely similar to the year-old Spark she had come in.
A PMPML bus had crashed into it, injuring five people and causing some damage to other cars parked nearby.
Brake failure was the reason cited for the accident outside the Bank of Maharashtra, Shivaji Nagar branch.
"We were standing at the cobbler's to repair our shoes when all of a sudden this bus loses control and runs over the Spark which was parked beside the footpath," said Musir Ahmad (25), one of the injured. "The impact was so strong that the car got dragged and thrown on to the footpath beside us. We were thrown on to the other side of the iron fence and the cobbler's legs got stuck below the car. For a second, we could not understand what was happening."
The car almost broke through the fencing, ending up stuck in the twisted metal. A couple of cars parked around it also took a hit from it, but the damage was minimal.
Vijay Ghokhale, Shivpurkar's brother, said, "The damage to our car is beyond repair. Thankfully, we have insurance, but we have to buy a new car now. I am not sure PMPML will give me compensation, but I am going to fight for it. My sister and father are so shocked! My sister even started feeling sick after the incident."
PMPML officials said till a proper investigation was done, there was no question of compensation. Chief Engineer Sunil Burse said, "First a complaint will be lodged in a police station, the investigation officer will check the spot, and then a case will be filed. After this we will try to find out whose fault led to the accident and if the area where the car was parked was a parking area. There's lots of investigation required, after which higher management will decide on compensation."
A complaint was lodged at the Shivaji Nagar police station. The bus driver was booked and taken into custody. One of the injured was admitted to the Sassoon General Hospital.
