ABSCONDING AUTO DRIVER IN CRASH THAT KILLED 1 HELD

MUMBAI: Mankhurd police have arrested a 23-year-old rickshaw driver responsible for the death of a 30-year-old woman due to rash and negligent driving. The incident had occurred in August this year on the eastern express highway, but the driver, Junaid Shaikh had absconded after changing his residence and mobile phone. Police were able to trace him based on a tip-off.

According to police, the complainant Imran Siddique, 28, in his statement, said that his mother Asma Siddique and the deceased Shagufta Shakeel Ansari, 30, used to go for regular walks to the old Vashi bridge. “On August 8 they boarded Shaikh’s autorickshaw from Shivaji Nagar and went to the Vashi old bridge at around 5.30am. They kept the auto waiting and after completing the walk used it to return home at 6.30am. Asma asked the driver to take a U-turn from the Vashi toll naka but instead, he drove on to the Sion-panvel highway and was hit by an oncoming car. Ansari was thrown out and succumbed to her injuries. Asma and Shaikh were admitted to Rajawadi Hospital,” said a police officer.

“After the case was registered, Shaikh claimed that he was recovering from his injuries at Rajawadi. Later, when we used to contact him, he would switch off his mobile phone and later changed his residence. With the help of local sources we found that he had started plying his auto near Mankhurd railway station,” said the officer.

Shaikh was produced in court on Sunday and was remanded to magistrate custody till December 28.