In the matter of the fatal hit-and-run case that took place inside the premises of the Lokmanya Tilak General Hospital, popularly known as Sion Hospital, the accused driver Dr Rajesh C. Dere, one of the HOD at the same hospital, was granted bail by the magistrate court in Dadar on Sunday.
The accused, Dr Rajesh C. Dere is the head of the Forensic Medicine and Toxicology department, who allegedly hit a 60-year-old woman named Rubeda Shaikh on Friday night. After hitting the woman with his car, he allegedly admitted the victim saying she was found ‘unconscious’ near the exit gate of the hospital and disappeared.
After being on a ventilator Shaikh died, and meanwhile, the matter was informed to her family – who stays in Mumbra, near Thane.
Later, followed by hours of search operation, the Sion police managed to trace Dr Dere who was brought to the police station around 10 pm on Saturday. The accused was sent for medical examination and then placed under arrest. Dr Dere was booked under sections 304A (causing death due to negligence), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering human life), 279 (rash driving), 203 (giving false information respecting an offence committed) and 177 (knowingly furnishing false information to a public servant) of the Indian Penal Code and section 184 (driving dangerously) of the Motor Vehicle Act.
Meanwhile, Shaikh’s postmortem report says ‘opinion reserved’, said police officials. Dr Dere’s breath analyser test didn’t help the police much as he was arrested for almost a gap of 24 hours. Hence, blood samples and viscera of the accused have now been sent to Kalina Forensic Lab for forensic examination.
The court granted cash bail of Rs. 20,000 to Dr Dere.
The police will soon begin the process of filing the chargesheet against Dr Dere in the matter. “We are waiting for the PM and forensic report which will be added as additional evidence, while the primary evidence which clearly shows the accused running over the victim is the CCTV camera footage that we have in our possession – it will all be included in the chargesheet,” said an official from Sion police station.
