Mumbai: Two men, including Nikhil Jawade, a Nagpur-based choreographer, and his friend Shubham Dongare, were arrested on Tuesday after they ran over two men sleeping on Versova beach in the early hours of Monday.
The incident resulted in the death of one of the victims, Ganesh Yadav, an auto driver, while the other, Bablu Shrivastava, a delivery boy, sustained injuries. The two accused fled the scene upon realising the severity of the incident but were later arrested by the police.
According to a Hindustan Times report quoting the Versova police, Jawade and another friend named Prateek borrowed a grey Jeep Compass from an unidentified owner in Nagpur and drove to Mumbai. Prateek wanted to visit a female friend in Mumbai and persuaded Jawade, who could drive, to accompany him.
Accused Reportedly Consumed Alcohol Before Reaching Versova
After reaching Mumbai on Sunday, Prateek and Jawade parted ways. Jawade then met up with Dongare, an old friend who works in Airoli. The two spent the day at Juhu, where they reportedly consumed alcohol. In the early hours of Monday, they decided to take a joyride on Versova beach, despite it being illegal to drive on public beaches.
Jeep SUV Ran Over 2 Sleeping On Beach
Meanwhile, Bablu Shrivastava and his friend Ganesh Yadav decided to sleep on Versova beach to escape the heat in their nearby shanties. Around 5:45 am, Bablu was awakened by the sound of an approaching vehicle. Before he could react, the Jeep ran over his hand and then plowed into Ganesh, who was sleeping nearby. Bablu screamed for help, and residents from the Sagar Kutir Rahivasi Sangh, including Ganesh’s younger brother Bajrangi, rushed to their aid.
Unfortunately, Ganesh was found bleeding from his head and was unresponsive. Jawade initially got out of the car but, seeing the crowd and realising Ganesh was likely dead, he and Dongare fled. Residents took the victims to Cooper Hospital, where Ganesh was declared dead.
According to the report, based on Bablu’s account, the police tracked the grey Jeep Compass, which had taken the Jogeshwari Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR) and headed toward the Nashik Highway. The vehicle was found near Igatpuri a few hours later, and the suspects were arrested.
Case Filed In The Matter
The police have charged Jawade and Dongare with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, rash and negligent driving, and other offences under the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988. They have not charged Prateek, as he was not present during the incident. Jawade and Dongare have been remanded to police custody, and their blood samples have been taken to determine if they were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.
