E-Paper
Helmet-less government official dies in Pune road accident
The deceased identified as Suhas Ramrao Chavan, 49, was working as an under-secretary in the home department of the Maharashtra government.
A state government official riding a two-wheeler, without a helmet, was killed in a road accident in the late hours of Sunday. The deceased man, a secretary-level official working for the state government, was hit by an Eicher bus, according to the police.
According to police officials, it was a hit-and-run case.
The deceased identified as Suhas Ramrao Chavan, 49, was a resident of Tilaknagar in Chembur (West), Mumbai. A source in the Mantralaya in Mumbai said that while Chavan worked in various departments, he was currently working as an under-secretary in the home department of the Maharashtra government. He was visiting his brother in Pune when the accident happened.
The incident happened at 9:45pm on Sunday when Chavan was riding a moped on the road connecting Mantarwadi chowk to Handewadi in Phursungi. An Eicher bus rammed his vehicle and fled the spot, according to the police.
A complaint in the matter was lodged by Somnath Bansode, a police naik working at the Hadapsar police station. Chavan’s body was taken to the Sassoon General Hospital for post-mortem.
The driver, identified as Rashid Kondaji Shakh, 24, a resident of Warje Malwadi, was arrested on Monday evening, according to assistant police inspector (API) Kiran Londhe of Hadapsar police station, who is investigating the case. “The bus is owned by someone else. He was driving it home after dropping off some goods,” said API Londhe.
Pankaj Deshmukh, deputy commissioner of police, traffic, Pune, said, “The life of a 50-year-old was claimed by the accident. Had he worn a helmet, maybe a life could have been saved.” The newly-appointed DCP was talking about helmet rule enforcement in the city and the importance of compliance by residents, when he made the statement.
A case under Sections 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 304(a) (causing death due to negligence) of the Indian Penal Code along with Sections 184, 132(q)(c), 119/177 of the Motor Vehicles Act was registered against the bus driver at the Hadapsar police station.
