Bus driver who ran over two-year-old dies in hospital

The BEST driver, who ran over a two-year-old girl on Monday and was beaten up by a mob, died to his injuries on Tuesday while undergoing treatment at Lilavati Hospital.

The BEST driver, who ran over a two-year-old girl on Monday and was beaten up by a mob, died to his injuries on Tuesday while undergoing treatment at Lilavati Hospital.

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Aatmaram Gaikwad, 57, a resident of BEST staff quarters at Deonar, was assaulted after he ran over Chandni Patil, who was crossing the road from her residence in a chawl near Bandra Terminus to a tea stall owned by her father at the Terminus.

The accident took place around 7am when Gaikwad was taking a U-turn from the Bandra Terminus. Chandni came under the rear wheel of the bus and was crushed. She was declared dead before admission at Bhabha Hospital. The mob started pelting stones at the bus and beating up Gaikwad with sticks, a police official said, requesting anonymity.

Gaikwad suffered grievous injuries on his head and arms, following which he was taken to Bhabha Hospital.

However, as his condition deteriorated, his relatives shifted him to Lilavati Hospital.

The Nirmal Nagar police arrested Pyaare Sheikh, 20, Ali Sheikh, 24, and Raju Patil, 55, on charges of murder, damaging the bus and threatening Gaikwad.

Gaikwad, too, was booked for causing death due to rash and negligent driving.

Pyaare and Ali work as porters at the Terminus while Raju runs a vada pav stall.

“We have booked them as they assaulted Gaikwad due to which he died,” said senior inspector Prashant Bagade.