Mumbai: Doctor booked after woman run over by his car dies

Road accidents cause more deaths. (Source: File Photo)

The Malabar Hill police have booked a doctor for allegedly running over a 57-year-old hearing and speech impaired woman in south Mumbai. The incident took place on the Napean Sea Road Saturday. The victim, Ujwala Adivarekar, succumbed to her injuries Monday, after which the police decided to charge the doctor under Section 304A (causing death by negligence) of the IPC. “We will be adding another section of negligence and inform the court on Tuesday,” said a police officer.

The police said Adivarekar was crossing the road when she was run over by the doctor’s car. On the day of the incident, the doctor was booked under sections 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the IPC. He was then released on bail.

“The incident took place around 8.30 am Saturday, when the victim was crossing the road. She was knocked down by the speeding car and as she started bleeding profusely, the driver rushed her to the nearest hospital,” said an officer from the Malabar Hill police station. Jaslok hospital authorities informed the police about the incident, following which a case was registered against the doctor. The doctor works at a south Mumbai hospital. “Shah was going to visit his patient at Atlas building on Napean Sea Road when he accidentally knocked down the woman. He, however, didn’t flee from the spot, and took the victim to hospital,” said a police officer.

Adivarekar stayed at Ramkrushna building on Napean Sea Road with her brother Ravindra and his family. Ravindra and his wife are professors in a Matunga college. “We believe that Ujwala went to buy something from a shop on Saturday when the accident took place,” the officer added.
Investigators are also checking whether the driver honked repeatedly, expecting the pedestrian to stop. The doctor was not aware that the victim was hearing and speech impaired, which might have led to the accident, the police said.

Vijay Kamble, senior police inspector from the Malabar Hill police station, said the police were “investigating the case very thoroughly”.