28-year-old Mulund resident dies after being hit by car on EEH

28-year-old Dhiren Nagpal from Mulund died in a road accident on EEH. Activists blame non-functioning signal. Police investigating driver's role.

Mumbai: On Friday, 28-year-old Mulund resident Dhiren Nagpal stepped out for a post-dinner walk. When he failed to return, his mother filed a missing person complaint with the Navghar police.

Mulund resident Dhiren Nagpal stepped out for a post-dinner walk, when he was hit by a car. (HT Photo)

On Saturday evening, she got a call from the Kopri police, who informed her that her son had died after being hit by a vehicle near Kopri Bridge on the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) in Mulund East. A case has been registered against an unknown vehicle driver for causing death due to rash and negligent driving.

“We learnt about a missing person complaint registered about a person of similar age, so we contacted the family on Saturday around 8 pm after taking the details from Navghar police station,” said Ranjit Dhere from the Kopri police. “The accident occurred on Friday between 10.40 pm and 11 pm. We are trying to ascertain how he got near the divider on EEH. It appears like he might have been trying to cross the road.” The police rushed Nagpal to hospital, but he was declared dead on arrival.

Local resident and activist Laxminarayan Shetty alleged that Nagpal was killed because of a non-functioning traffic signal. ‘Tragic loss of Dhiren Nagpal, from Millenium Park, in an accident at the defunct signal turn on Eastern Express Highway, Mulund East,’ he posted on social media platform X on Sunday. ‘Did we need to lose him to switch on a signal? What kind of politics & administration allows this? Who’s accountable for this young life lost? A mother’s only son is gone. Pray for her strength and his soul’s peace.’

Shetty said in his post that the signal system erected two months earlier was kept on hold by the higher authorities. Orders from the top held up its functioning and dividers were placed to block the right turn towards Nashik. ‘This work was done by the traffic department of @mybmc & @MTPHereToHelp within days,’ said the post. ‘The responsible official must be held accountable for Dhiren’s death. Surprisingly, the system was activated the morning after his accident. This negligence cost a precious life. We demand answers & justice.’

A retired BMC official who lives in the same vicinity said that residents had been fighting for a signal for many years. “It was finally erected three months ago but was not made operational,” he said. “Several accidents have occurred there in the last few years. A signal at the spot is vital to prevent accidents.”

Dhere said that Nagpal’s body was found some distance away from Kopri Bridge. “There is no signal or crossing there,” he said. “There is an unceasing flow of vehicles on the highway due to which pedestrians are unable to cross. We are now checking the CCTV footage to trace the vehicle that hit Nagpal.”

Nagpal stayed at Hariom Nagar in Mulund (East) with his mother. After completing his BCom, he worked in a couple of firms and then went to London for a course in multimedia eight months ago. He returned to India in April. “His father died six years ago,” said the deceased’s maternal uncle, Jayant Jethwani. “His mother, who worked for a bank, is retired. Dhiren was her only son and she is in a state of shock.”