7-year-old girl crushed by dumper in Charkop; residents stage protest

A seven-year-old girl was killed by a dumper truck in Kandivali, Mumbai. The driver fled but was later arrested. Local residents protested over traffic safety.

MUMBAI: A seven-year-old girl was killed after being run over by a dumper truck near the Oscar Hospital in Charkop, Kandivali, on Tuesday afternoon. The driver fled the scene with the vehicle but was arrested a few hours later, the police said.

7-year-old girl crushed by dumper in Charkop; residents stage protest

The victim, identified as Ritika Chavan, was a Class 2 student at a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)-run school. According to the Charkop police, she was walking home with her friends after school when the accident occurred. Eyewitnesses said the accident was so severe that the girl died instantly, leaving passersby and residents in a shock.

The incident angered local residents who gathered at the spot and blocked the road, saying that there was a lack of traffic police. “There is no police presence in the area to man the junction which has a school nearby and sees heavy traffic throughout the day,” said Sanjeev Chanbra, a local who witnessed the accident.

Residents also alleged that authorities removed the body and the vehicle from the scene before the girl’s parents arrived. “There is no police presence to manage traffic at this busy junction,” said a resident who witnessed the incident.

The Charkop police arrested the dumper driver a few hours after the accident and booked him under section 106 (causing death due to negligence) and 232 (rash driving) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Several police officers were deployed to control the situation, which remained tense for several hours till about 6pm. “We have calmed the crowd and arrested the driver,” said a police officer.