College student dies after being hit by BEST bus in Malvani
A 20-year-old college student was fatally hit by a bus in Mumbai. The driver was arrested and the incident highlights the lack of pedestrian space in the area.
MUMBAI: A 20-year-old college student was fatally knocked down by a bus operated by the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking in front of the depot in Malvani on Saturday morning. The driver, identified as Mahadev Eknath Sasane, was arrested later in the day.
According to police, Farheen Rizvi was on her way to Patkar College in Malad West when the incident occurred right outside gate no. 8.
In his statement to the police, Farheen’s brother Sahil said the bus that was headed into the depot first bumped into her from the front. “People who were present there told us that the driver was speeding towards the depot. At one point, people screamed to let him know that the vehicle had hit someone. He, however, kept on driving after which Farheen suffered severe injuries.”
A crowd gathered around the bus and some of them took the woman to Shatabadi Hospital in Kandivali where she was declared dead on arrival.
“We have booked the driver under section 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 304A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code,” a police officer from Malvani police station said.
Farheen’s mother Kinnu Begum spoke about her last memory of her only daughter. “She had woken me up to ask for the bus fare and greeted me before leaving the house. She did this every day.”
A couple of hours later, a police team informed the family that Farheen was no more. “I lost her father just four months ago. Farheen, being academically inclined, was the ray of hope for our family. Despite not having a lot of money, we ensured she received a good education,” Begum said.
Begum further said after her husband’s death, Farheen assured her that the family would soon move out of Malvani and have a better life. “She used to speak about all the things she wanted to do for us once she got a good job. She was in the last year of college.”
Recollecting the chatter going on in the area, Begum said some of those present during the accident told her that they all yelled at the driver to stop the bus or reverse it when he first ran into Farheen. “He didn’t seem to understand what people were telling him. He instead drove forward, passing over her stomach and inflicting the fatal wounds.”
Local residents said the presence of hawkers and the footpaths being used for parking two-wheelers leaves no space for pedestrians. “The situation is the same across Malvani. Shops occupy the pavement space outside their establishments. The road itself is full of potholes. Pedestrians are forced to walk very close to the flow of traffic,” Abdul Chaudhary said.
