Man Killed by Speeding Dumper in Mumbai's Mulund Colony
A tragic road accident claimed the life of a 37-year-old man in the Mulund West area of Mumbai on Saturday. The victim, identified as Suresh Rajput, was crossing a busy lane in Mulund Colony around 1 pm when a speeding dumper knocked him down. He succumbed to his injuries approximately three hours later.
Driver Arrested Under New Legal Code
The police swiftly arrested the dumper driver, Brijesh Yadav (26), who had initially fled the scene abandoning his vehicle. According to an officer from the Mulund police station, Yadav was booked under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for causing death due to negligence and rash driving, along with relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act. The police confirmed the driver was not under the influence of alcohol at the time. Since the offences are bailable, Yadav was later released on bail.
The incident has left the victim's family devastated. Rajput had met his elder brother, Vijay (50), just hours before the accident as he was leaving in search of daily work. Vijay, who works as a bodyguard, recounted the harrowing moment he received the news. "The incident has shaken our bedridden mother (68). I was at my workplace when I got a call from a friend about the accident. I rushed to the hospital only to learn that my brother had died before admission," he told reporters.
Political Outcry and Demand for Accountability
The accident has triggered a strong political response. BJP MLA Mihir Kotecha has demanded the suspension of BMC deputy chief engineer Navnath Ghadge, holding him directly responsible for the recurring dumper-related incidents in the locality. Kotecha asserted that Rajput was killed on the spot and highlighted that this was the third such serious incident in Mulund within a few months.
"Ghadge is responsible for this incident and for the repeated accidents involving dumpers in the area," Kotecha stated. He cited two prior incidents:
- A dumper overturning in the first week of December.
- The death of a girl in Amar Nagar, Mulund, four months ago after being hit by a dumper.
The MLA revealed that he had previously raised the issue of overloaded dumpers moving through densely populated residential areas of Mulund in the Legislative Assembly. Although the government issued directives to stop dumper movement on this stretch until an alternative road was developed, Kotecha claims these orders were ignored.
"There is an alternative route available, but instead of developing it, 300 to 400 dumpers pass through Mulund Colony every day, posing a serious risk to residents," Kotecha emphasized, calling for immediate action to prevent further loss of life.
