Road rage claims 24-year-old’s life

A 24-year-old man, who was punched in the stomach several times in a case of road rage at Ghatkopar, succumbed to his injuries on Thursday evening.

A 24-year-old man, who was punched in the stomach several times in a case of road rage at Ghatkopar, succumbed to his injuries on Thursday evening.

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At 12 pm, Javed Sheikh, a still movie photographer, took his nephew for a joyride in his brother’s Tata Indigo at Narayan Nagar, Ghatkopar (West).

“As the car neared Navabima sports mall, the four-wheeler brushed against Aarif Ansari’s (35) Hero Honda Passion. Ansari, who owns a sweet mart shop on the same lane, got angry and signalled Sheikh to stop his car,” said Inspector Uttam Kolekar of the Ghatkopar police station.

Ansari pulled Sheikh out of the car and allegedly punched him several times on his stomach and even kicked him for at least 15 minutes.

“After beating the victim for 15 minutes, locals intervened and separated the two,” said an officer, requesting anonymity.

Ansari, also a Ghatkopar resident, headed towards the railway station, while Sheikh drove to his Hill Nagar residence in Ghatkopar. As soon as he reached home, Sheikh started vomiting for at least 45 minutes and then fell unconscious.

His family panicked and rushed him to nearby Rajawadi hospital. He was pronounced dead in the evening.

Following Sheikh’s death, the police booked Ansari on murder charge.

“A police team went to the spot to look for the accused. Locals identified him as Ansari. We arrested him from his Sanjay Nagar residence at 11 pm,” said Assistant Police Inspector Shashikant Pawar, the investigating officer.

Pawar said Ansari did not know that Sheikh had died.

The metropolitan magistrate’s court at Vikhroli remanded Ansari to police custody until March 23.