Pandole booked for rash driving, negligence in Mistry accident case
MUMBAI: Gynaecologist Dr Anahita Pandole, driver of the Mercedes Benz car that met with an accident on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad NH in Palghar which left ex-Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry and his friend Jehangir Pandole dead two months ago, was on Saturday booked by Kasa police for multiple driving offences, including causing the deaths due to negligence, rash driving, overspeeding, overtaking, not following lane disciple and ignoring duties of a driver.
Anahita (55), admitted in HN Reliance Hospital, is still to give her statement to police. Her husband Darius (60), the sole eyewitness, gave his statement on November 1, in which he stated that his wife was unable to merge into the second lane near the old Surya river bridge at Charoti in Dahanu taluka.
The car makers’ Pune office submitted its final report to police on Friday. It corroborated its initial findings of error of judgment by Anahita when the car reached the bridge that narrows from a three to two lane. As per the report, Anahita activated the anti-lock brake system five seconds before the accident. However, it took 1.5 seconds before the speed of the car dropped from 100kmph to 89kmph. The accident site is not a black spot.
Palghar SP Balasaheb Patil said the case has been registered against Anahita, based on her husband statement and final reports by various agencies. An accidental death case was filed after the September 4 tragedy. Patil said the driver might have panicked and what followed caused the accident. Anahita’s statement will be taken after her doctors give the go-ahead, Patil said.
Patil said the car was moving in the third lane, which is meant for heavy vehicles. “Light vehicles are expected to use the first lane. Her husband has also said his wife was driving in the third lane,” said Patil. In the absence of CCTVs on the highway, it’s not known when she got on to the third lane, but police believe the driver may have been overtaking from third lane which is meant for heavy vehicles.
When the driver neared the bridge that turned into two lanes, she tried to get on to the second, which was already occupied by a heavy vehicle (in a two-lane road, the second lane is for heavy vehicles). She might have then tried to overtake the heavy vehicle by getting onto the first lane but there was a vehicle on the first lane ahead of her, Patil said.
Anahita (55), admitted in HN Reliance Hospital, is still to give her statement to police. Her husband Darius (60), the sole eyewitness, gave his statement on November 1, in which he stated that his wife was unable to merge into the second lane near the old Surya river bridge at Charoti in Dahanu taluka.
The car makers’ Pune office submitted its final report to police on Friday. It corroborated its initial findings of error of judgment by Anahita when the car reached the bridge that narrows from a three to two lane. As per the report, Anahita activated the anti-lock brake system five seconds before the accident. However, it took 1.5 seconds before the speed of the car dropped from 100kmph to 89kmph. The accident site is not a black spot.
Palghar SP Balasaheb Patil said the case has been registered against Anahita, based on her husband statement and final reports by various agencies. An accidental death case was filed after the September 4 tragedy. Patil said the driver might have panicked and what followed caused the accident. Anahita’s statement will be taken after her doctors give the go-ahead, Patil said.
Patil said the car was moving in the third lane, which is meant for heavy vehicles. “Light vehicles are expected to use the first lane. Her husband has also said his wife was driving in the third lane,” said Patil. In the absence of CCTVs on the highway, it’s not known when she got on to the third lane, but police believe the driver may have been overtaking from third lane which is meant for heavy vehicles.
When the driver neared the bridge that turned into two lanes, she tried to get on to the second, which was already occupied by a heavy vehicle (in a two-lane road, the second lane is for heavy vehicles). She might have then tried to overtake the heavy vehicle by getting onto the first lane but there was a vehicle on the first lane ahead of her, Patil said.
