Detained man is the driver, not cleaner: cops

The man detained for the Ghatkopar accident on Sunday, in which a speeding truck hit a stationary autorickshaw killing two, is the driver and not the cleaner as he had earlier claimed, said the police.

The man detained for the Ghatkopar accident on Sunday, in which a speeding truck hit a stationary autorickshaw killing two, is the driver and not the cleaner as he had earlier claimed, said the police.

HT Image

At the time of the incident, three men – driver Shyama Ghade, cleaner Balaji Gaikwad and other cleaner – were present in the vehicle. While Gaikwad fled after the accident, the other two were beaten up by the locals of Bhatwadi area.

Ghade convinced the other cleaner to tell the police that Gaikwad was the driver. “The duo told us that they were the cleaners while the driver, had escaped,” said Chandrakant Puri, inspector, Ghatkopar police station. The police, however, confronted the duo with the vehicle owner. “The owner told us that Ghade was the driver and the other two were cleaners. An eyewitness also alleged that he saw Ghade behind the wheel,” said Puri.

The police then questioned Ghade, who confessed that the accident had occurred because of his negligence. Ghade has now been arrested on charges of causing death due to negligence, rash and negligent driving.