Mumbai: Three months after a 65-year-old Bhandup resident, Laxman Mohane, died due to head injuries following a fall from a BEST bus at Mulund, police booked the bus driver for negligence as he allegedly started the vehicle without ensuring that all commuters had boarded in safely.
The incident took place on Nov 6, 2024, and Mohane succumbed to his injuries in hospital three days later, but his widow, Lata, lodged a complaint on Thursday, saying that until now she was not in the right frame of mind to understand the reasons behind his death.
Navghar police said they are reviewing the CCTV footage from the bus stop to verify the claims. The BEST undertaking is yet to issue a formal statement on the matter.
Mohane, who was employed as a cashier at Samarth Catering Services in Mulund, would travel by BEST bus. On Nov 6, 2024, when Mohane was entering the bus from the Mulund bus stop, the driver suddenly moved the vehicle without closing the door, causing him to lose balance and fall on the road. He sustained severe head injuries. Passersby, including autorickshaw driver Jayesh Pathare, rushed him to the nearby Agarwal Hospital. Due to intracranial bleeding and a skull fracture, the doctors referred him to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa, but no neurologist was available. He was later transferred to Nair Hospital in Mumbai Central, where he succumbed to his injuries on Nov 9.
Recently, Lata and her son-in-law Nilesh Ahire visited the accident and spoke with locals who confirmed that the bus driver neither waited for passengers to board safely nor shut the door and started the vehicle on that fateful day. The family then approached the police on Thursday to file a wrongful death complaint against the BEST bus driver.