Bus driver arrested for woman's death in Kalyan, activist cries foul

Says MSRDC has not repaired the road despite several complaints; its official blames residents, alleges they have not let them repair the road

The Mahatma Phule police have arrested a bus driver, for the accident in which Manisha Bhoir died last week, when the bike she was riding pillion, hit a pothole in Kalyan. However, a social activist has claimed the driver is innocent. He says MSRDC has not repaired the road where the mishap happened, despite several complaints, while its official blames residents, says they have not let them repair it.

CCTV footage shows the bike and a bus moving side by side when the bike gets a jerk and Bhoir, 40, and her neighbour riding it fall, and she comes under the rear wheels of the bus. But according to senior inspector PR Londhe, "The bus pushed the bike rider because of which he fell. It's clear negligence and therefore we arrested bus driver Shaikh Ahmad, 31. The victim’s family complained to us." Asked if he had checked the CCTV footage, he said he had not.

But Manoj Nichite, brother of Bhoir said, "We haven’t blamed the bus driver. We are against the contractor who built the road. We want culprits behind the uneven road punished."

A social activist who wrote several letters to MSRDC, Yogesh Dalvi, said, "The road was built 15 years ago and MSRDC has not repaired it despite several complaints and deaths. Who is responsible? The driver is not at fault."

MSRDC vice chairman and managing director Radheshyam Mopalwar said, "Local residents say they haven't got compensation for giving their lands for the road. We are not the agency to give compensation. Our contractors are trying to repair the road and rebuild it with four lanes from October, but residents don't let them, and we get threats."

Quotes

We haven't blamed the bus driver. We are against the contractor who built the road. We want culprits behind the uneven road punished.
Manoj Nichite, Manisha Bhoir's brother

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