Tragic Hit-and-Run Incidents Raise Alarm in Maharashtra

A tragic hit-and-run incident killed an auto-rickshaw driver and injured his friend on Versova beach in Mumbai. The SUV driver and his passenger were apprehended within three hours. Authorities are investigating whether the suspects were under alcohol influence. The incident raises growing concerns over hit-and-run cases in Maharashtra.

A tragic hit-and-run incident claimed the life of an auto-rickshaw driver and injured his friend as they slept on Versova beach in Mumbai, officials reported on Wednesday.

The accident occurred early Monday morning. The SUV driver, Nikhil Jawle, 34, and his passenger, Shubham Dongre, 33, initially fled but were caught within three hours in Igatpuri, Nashik district, officials said.

Their Nagpur-registered vehicle was traced through a tip-off from a local resident. Authorities have collected blood samples from both suspects to check for alcohol influence during the incident.

Auto-rickshaw driver Ganesh Yadav and his friend Bablu Shrivastava were sleeping on the beach due to the heat in their nearby room in the Sagar Kutir Rahivasi Sangh slum, an official from Versova police station stated.

Shrivastava, partially conscious post-collision, managed to call the police.

An FIR against Jawle and Dongre has been filed under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Police stressed their commitment to thoroughly investigate the case, noting, ''We are conducting further probe into the case.'' The suspects were presented in court on Tuesday and were remanded to five days of police custody for further investigation.

This event underlines growing concerns over hit-and-run cases in Maharashtra.

Recent statistics reveal a worrying trend of frequent high-profile cases. In July, a woman was dragged for 1.5 kilometres by a BMW in Worli, resulting in her death. Three persons, including a Shiv Sena politician's son, were arrested.

That same night, a policeman was killed by a car that rammed his motorbike in Pune's Khadki area while patrolling.

In another Pune incident, on May 19, a minor driving a Porsche killed two IT professionals on a motorcycle. The Juvenile Justice Board granted bail to the minor with lenient conditions, sparking public outcry on the justice system's handling of such cases.

On July 7 in Nagpur, a 23-year-old man was killed in a hit-and-run by an unidentified vehicle.

In Nashik on July 9, a 31-year-old woman was killed by a speeding car. The driver, under alcohol influence, fled but was later arrested.

On February 25, a woman allegedly driving under alcohol influence crashed her Mercedes into two men on a scooter on Nagpur's Ram Jhula bridge, leading to their death. She surrendered to police on July 1 and was arrested.

(With inputs from agencies.)