Truck driver gets life term for running over man near Mulund Plaza in 2023

Additional sessions judge SB Dige convicted Noor Mohd. Ibrar Ali Shah, observing that the prosecution had conclusively established that he intentionally drove his truck into Bhavesh Soni following an altercation over vehicle damage

MUMBAI: A sessions court on Tuesday held a truck driver guilty of murder for deliberately mowing down a man after a dispute over a minor collision at the Mulund toll plaza in May 2023, ruling that the act was intentional and not an instance of negligent driving.

Truck driver gets life term for running over man near Mulund Plaza in 2023

Additional sessions judge SB Dige convicted Noor Mohd. Ibrar Ali Shah, observing that the prosecution had conclusively established that he intentionally drove his truck into Bhavesh Soni following an altercation over vehicle damage.

According to the prosecution, the incident occurred around 10 pm on May 11, 2023, near the Anand Nagar toll plaza in Mulund, when the accused’s truck brushed against Soni’s car. Soni got down and stood in front of the truck, asking the driver to step out as the toll staff gathered.

The court noted that the accused, fully aware of Soni’s position, suddenly accelerated the vehicle, ran him over and dragged him for several feet before fleeing the scene.

Eyewitnesses, including toll plaza staff, consistently supported the prosecution’s version. Their testimonies also indicated that another individual narrowly escaped being run over, leading to the additional charge of attempt to murder.

Rejecting the defence’s claim that the incident was accidental or that the accused was not the one driving, the court held that the manner of the act clearly pointed to intent.

The prosecution relied on eyewitness accounts, CCTV footage and identification evidence, all of which the court found credible. CCTV footage from the toll plaza was accepted as admissible evidence, with the court noting that while the driver’s face was not clearly visible, the vehicle number and surrounding circumstances corroborated the prosecution’s version.

On sentencing, the court refused to treat the case as the “rarest of rare” category and declined to award the death penalty. The accused was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and three years’ rigorous imprisonment for attempt to murder, with both sentences to run concurrently.