How Mumbai lawyer saved BEST bus driver's life from mob after Kurla crash: 'I have no regrets'

Mumbai BEST bus accident updates: Siddique Ashif Hussain acted swiftly and intervened to save the life of driver Sanjay More.

Updated on: Dec 11, 2024, 13:59:58 IST

By HT News Desk

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Mumbai BEST bus accident: A local lawyer and Mumbai Police personnel turned saviour for Sanjay More, a Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) bus driver, who was assaulted by an angry mob after the electric vehicle driven by him ran amok and killed seven people on a busy road in Kurla (West) on Monday night.

Seven people died, 42 were injured after a BEST bus rammed into pedestrians and several vehicles in Kurla area of Mumbai. (Raju Shinde/HT Photo)

Siddique Ashif Hussain, 30, a resident of the area near the accident site on SG Barve Road, acted swiftly and intervened to save the driver's life.

Also Read | Did Mumbai BEST driver use bus as a ‘weapon’? Police seek court nod for deeper probe into Kurla accident

"I was at home when I heard a loud noise. I rushed outside and saw two policemen lying injured in a police vehicle," Ashif Hussain told news agency PTI on Tuesday.

Hussain opened the door of the damaged vehicle and rushed the injured police to a nearby hospital. Upon returning, he, along with friends, rescued three others trapped under the police SUV.

Hussain then noticed a mob attacking the bus driver, Sanjay More (54).

Also Read | ‘Human error, lack of training’ led to Kurla bus tragedy, suspect RTO officials

“I intervened, pleading with people to stop hitting the driver. I took a few blows in the process, but with the help of the police, we managed to get the driver to safety,” Hussain said.

'Bus conductor hid in a dentist's clinic'

He said the bus conductor hid himself in a nearby dentist's clinic to escape the mob's fury. Hussain provided him with new clothes and escorted him on a motorbike to the Kurla police station.

"The mob was furious. Had we not arrived in time, and had local residents not helped us, the angry people would not have spared the driver and conductor," a senior police official said.

Taking to social media X, Ashif Hussain said, “Dear residents of Kurla, I have received countless calls and messages from many of you, expressing your anger and frustration towards me. I understand the pain and sorrow that you feel, and I want to address your concerns.”

“Yesterday, I made a difficult decision in an attempt to save the life of a bus driver, and I did so with the belief that violence would only bring more harm and no real resolution. As much as I understand the raw emotions in this situation, I truly believe that an eye for an eye only leaves the world in darkness.” Hussain said.

The lawyer said he has no regrets about his actions, but “my heart aches for the families who have lost their loved ones”.

What police said about Sanjay More

The driver, Sanjay More was later arrested on charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other provisions under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita.

The e-bus, operated by the civic-run Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking, rammed into pedestrians and vehicles around 9.30 pm on Monday in Kurla (West), leaving behind a trail of death and destruction on the congested street.

According to police, More lacked the experience of driving EVs. He had undergone only a 10-day training for driving electric buses, police said.

Police on Tuesday told a court that they need to probe if More had committed the act “deliberately” and used the vehicle as a “weapon”.

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HT News Desk
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