Pillion rider dies as biker tries to overtake bus

A 31-year-old man was crushed under a bus in Mumbai after falling off his bike while trying to overtake the bus. The man was declared dead at the hospital. The police have registered a case and are investigating the incident. The man's relatives are demanding that the bus driver be held responsible for the accident.

MUMBAI: A 31-year-old pillion rider was crushed under the rear tyre of a state transport bus after he fell off the bike while the rider was trying to overtake the bus in Mira Road early Monday morning.

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According to the Kanakia police officials, the deceased, Trishul Gupta, worked for Zeno Health Services located at Ramdev Park in Mira Road East. After leaving his workplace around midnight, Gupta was on his way towards the highway to reach Nalasopara with a friend, Zaheer Khan, who was riding the bike bearing the registration number MH02DD7307.

Police officers said the two-wheeler was following a state transport bus. Around 12.30am when the rider tried to overtake the bus from the left side, he lost his balance and control over the bike, as another two-wheeler approached them from the wrong side at high speed.

The rider who was also speeding, panicked due to which the two men fell from the two-wheeler. While the rider fell on the right side, Gupta fell on the left and was crushed under the rear tyre of the bus.

The passersby saw Gupta and rushed him to the nearby Aditya Hospital. As he was seriously injured, he was then shifted to Bhaktivedanta Hospital where he was declared dead.

Police officers said they have registered a case under section 304A (causing death due to negligence) of the Indian Penal Code against the unknown bike rider who was travelling on the wrong side are investigating the case to find exactly how the accident took place and whether the rider was overtaking the bus from the left side.

Gupta’s relatives, however, approached the police on Monday, demanding an FIR should be registered against the bus driver as he was speeding and did not slow down despite noticing the accident.

Sudarshan Gupta, the elder brother of the deceased, said if the bus driver had slowed down, his brother would have been alive. “The road is narrow and there is no space to overtake. We want the bus driver to be booked because he was speeding even though he has told the police that he was travelling at the speed of 10 to 15 km per hour,” said Sudarshan.

Sudarshan said the police have just registered an accidental death report, but they have not booked the rider travelling on the wrong side and still have not made the bus driver an accused.