PUNE: Prakash Hasbe, the superintendent of the Pune Cantonment Board’s fire brigade, was fatally knocked down by a speeding PMPML bus at 509 Chowk in Dhanorie on Saturday morning when he was going back home on his scooter after the overnight firefighting operation at Fashion Street market.
Hasbe and his team were the first to reach the market, minutes after the fire broke out there late on Friday night. He co-ordinated with the Pune Municipal Corporation and other fire brigade authorities and spent the whole night at the spot.
Senior inspector Gajanan Pawar from the Airport police said, “Hasbe rode his scooter via Jail Road and Sanjay Park, and reached 509 Chowk around 6.15am. The driver of the PMPML (Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited) bus coming from the opposite direct lost control over the vehicle and hit his scooter.”
Pawar said the bus dragged Hasbe a few metres before it stopped. Critically injured, Hasbe was rushed to Sassoon General Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. The hospital in its advance post-mortem report certified the cause of Hasbe’s death due to multiple injuries.
“Investigations revealed that the bus hit the scooter at a turn. The detained bus driver told the police that the scooter rider had hit the bus and that he was not responsible for the accident,” he said.
Pawar said, “We have registered an FIR against the bus driver for causing death due to negligence under the relevant sections of the IPC and Motor Vehicles Act.”
The Pune Cantonment Board (PCB)’s chief executive officer, Amit Kumar, told TOI, “It was tragic and unfortunate. We have lost a very sincere and dedicated officer. Hasbe had discharged his duty at the Fashion Street market.”
The PCB’s electric department head, Vijay Chavan, said, “Hasbe had joined the board after retiring from the Indian Air Force in 2002. He is survived by his wife, son and daughter. He was known for maintaining work ethics.”