Man knocks down elderly woman, cooks up story to evade arrest

Driver arrested for allegedly knocking down a 73-year-old woman in Mumbai. He initially claimed she fainted, but CCTV footage proved otherwise.

MUMBAI: A driver was arrested on Saturday for allegedly knocking down a 73-year-old woman while crossing a road in Sion and cooked up a story to save himself. According to the police, Ismail Ansari, 43, told the family members that their mother fainted while walking, and he took her to the hospital.

The accident was captured on CCTV footage.

Ansari’s story was accepted, however, her daughter, after completing the final rites, decided to check the CCTV footage and caught the lie.

On September 10, Smitha Bane got a call from Ismail that her mother, Pushpa Keni, 73, had fainted on Dr B A road while crossing, and he was taking her to the hospital. “Smitha immediately informed her brother, Prashant Keni, who stays in Sion Bhandarwada with the mother. Prashant reached the hospital and contacted Ismail,” said a police officer from Sion police station. Prashant thanked Ismail for bringing his mother to the hospital. The next day, Pushpa succumbed to her injuries.

“After completing all the formalities on September 16, Prashant visited the police station as he could not believe his mother fainted as she used to regularly visit the temple,” said the police officer.

When the police and the family checked the CCTV footage, they found that Ismail had knocked his Pushpa while crossing the road and later brought her to the hospital.

“We traced Ismail Ansari and arrested him. He had cooked the story to save himself,” said the police officer.

The accused have been booked under sections 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 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), 304A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code and under various sections of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988.