Palghar (The Hawk): An official stated here on Saturday that the Palghar Police have charged Mumbai doctor Anahita Darius Pundole with "negligence" in relation to the vehicle accident on September 4 that resulted in the death of businessman Cyrus P. Mistry of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group.
The 55-year-old Anahita Pundole has been accused of driving the unfortunate Mercedes Benz on a bridge over the Surya River on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai National Highway, according to Palghar police.
Along with Mistry, Jehangir Dinshaw Pundole also perished in the collision, and both his sister-in-law Anahita and brother Darius Dinshaw Pundole suffered critical wounds.
Initial investigation into the accident was conducted by the Kasa police station under the direction of senior officer Prashant Pardeshi after the Palghar Police reported it as a fatal accident (case number 42/2022). At the time, there was a lot of rumour and speculation surrounding the accident.
Pardeshi interrogated the eyewitnesses, the Vasai RTO officers, and Mercedes Benz India employees in Pune throughout the investigation to obtain their reports on the fatal accident that made headlines and outraged the business community.
The investigation revealed that Anahita Pundole, who was driving, is suspected of "speeding the automobile in a hasty and mindless manner, attempted to overtake another vehicle, and smashed into the road barrier," which led to the fatal collision.
The Kasa police have now filed a complaint against Anahita following Pardeshi's investigation of the incident and questioning of her under the direction of Palghar Superintendent of Police Balasaheb Patil.
The relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act as well as IPC Section 304(A) regarding causing the death of any person by an act that is hasty or careless have been invoked by the police.
The maximum punishment for violating IPC Section 304(A), according to attorney Vinod Tiwari, is two years in prison and/or a fine, even though it is a cognisable offence.
The badly hurt Pundole couple was taken to a hospital in Vapi after the accident on the highway, and the next day they were flown to Mumbai's Sir H.N. Reliance Foundation Hospital for specialised care.
While his wife had suffered a hip fracture and a pneumothorax, Darius Pundole had endured a jaw displacement and bilateral jaw fractures.
According to HNRF CEO Tarang Gyanchandani, Anahita is still receiving medical care at the hospital, whilst Darius Pundole was recently released after making a full recovery.
(Inputs from Agencies)