The accused in the Bandra Worli Sea Link (BWSL) road accident which claimed five lives, has been identified as Irfan Abdul Raheem Beelkia, 42, a resident of Mohammad Ali road and a real estate developer, has been arrested by the police under section 304 ( death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for over-speeding and rash driving. The police also received a one day remand in the case on Thursday.
According to the police, five people were killed and eight others were injured when a speeding SUV collided with three other stationary vehicles and an ambulance on the BWSL on Wednesday. Out of the total deceased, four were toll plaza staffers while one was the ambulance driver.
Regarding the further investigation in the case, senior police inspector of Worli police station, Anil Kohli, said, “The accused was arrested by us from his home on Wednesday after he went there post treating his injuries at a private hospital. Before the accident occurred, the accused was heading to south Bombay from Jogeshwari after meeting a relative.”
“The car of the accused has been sent for forensic tests to confirm any mechanical faults in the vehicle, while an alcohol test of the accused is also underway, other investigations in the case are on,” added the senior inspector.
The police also added saying that before the accident, the accused was in the second lane of the BWSL and suddenly shifted to the last lane where he rammed into the other cars. Police suspect that the accused received a phone call/was putting his phone on charge or he was drunk. When asked about these possibilities, the senior police inspector said that all these aspects will be looked into thoroughly during the investigation.
The CCTV footage of the accident also went viral showing an ambulance and three cars stationary on the bridge when the speeding SUV rams into them.
The traffic was halted at the BWSL due to the accident and was resumed later.
The injured were admitted to various civic and private hospitals of the city.
Prime minister Modi, as well as the state Chief minister Eknath Shinde, conveyed their condolences to the bereaved members of victims’ families through their tweets on Wednesday.
(To receive our E-paper on whatsapp daily, please click here. To receive it on Telegram, please click here. We permit sharing of the paper's PDF on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.)
