Two days after former country head of Intel and avid cyclist Avtar Saini was killed on being knocked down by a speeding cab while cycling on Palm Beach Road, the Navi Mumbai police are yet to arrest the driver, Hrishikesh Khade.
An FIR has been registered against Khade under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 279 (rash driving), 337 (causing hurt with a rash or negligent act endangering human life) and 304-A (causing death of any person with any rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide), and provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.
Driver not arrested, but being questioned
The police haven’t arrested the driver but are questioning him. In detention, he told the police that he was at fault and didn’t see Saini as he had dozed off after driving the entire night. He was, however, let off after a stern warning, causing anger among the residents of the satellite city, who have been demanding strict action against him.
“We are interrogating him. We have given him a notice under section 41 and since it has a punishment of less than seven years, we cannot arrest him as per the Supreme Court guidelines. We are investigating further,” DCP (Zone II) Pankaj Dahane said. However, the Supreme Court has not totally barred arrests in such cases. It has only said that the arrests should not be affected mechanically.
Rinku Saini, a close relative of the deceased, told the FPJ on Friday, that it is bizarre that a man is fatally knocked down and the police say they cannot arrest the killer. He said he has engaged the services of a lawyer and will take appropriate legal action.
Details of the accident
Avtar Saini, 68, was a resident of Saini House, DK Sandu Marg, Chembur. On the fateful day, he took his cycle in his car early in the morning and drove to Palm Beach Road. He was scheduled to meet fellow cyclists near the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation head office. He parked his car a little away from the building, took out his cycle and started riding at 5.50am towards the spot where his friends were waiting for him. That was when the fatal accident took place.
Expressing anguish over the incident and appealing to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis to take strict action, Rinku Saini tweeted, “Who is responsible for his death? What was his fault? There is no traffic sense anymore in Navi Mumbai and people are driving without following any rules and regulations.”
“Today bikers, cab drivers have no fear of driving on the wrong side, breaking traffic signals, driving rashly and putting people’s lives in danger. We cannot afford to lose our loved ones,” Rinku Saini added.
