BEST bus kills two women riding a bike in BKC

Two young newly-married women were killed after the Honda Activa they were travelling on got hit by a BEST double-decker bus in Bandra Kurla Complex on Saturday evening. The BEST bus driver was arrested for negligence and has been released on bail.

According to the BKC police, the incident occurred at around 4.20 pm in front of Citibank in BKC while the BEST bus as well as the women on the two-wheeler where headed towards the Bandra railway station.

“The woman was driving on the right side of the bus. They tried to go from the right to the left side when the right-end front wheel knocked over the scooter and they fell down,” said BEST public relations officer Hanumant Gophane.

The BKC police has alleged that the BEST bus was speeding and was being driven rashly, due to which it hit their scooter from the rear causing them to fall and come under the bus. “There are no potholes on the road. We have CCTV coverage in the area and so we will go through it to find out the truth,” said senior police inspector, Kundalik Nigade of BKC police station.

The deceased have been identified as Tina Motani (22), a resident of Bhandup and Sandhya Gupta Kothari (27), a resident of Chembur. Both were rushed to Sion Hospital but were declared dead on admission. Sandhya was riding the scooter and was not wearing a helmet, the police said. Both sustained grievous head injuries.

The BEST bus driver Namdeo Damse (45) has been booked under section 304 A (causing death due to negligence) and 279 (rash driving) of the Indian Penal Code. He was arrested and produced before a magistrate’s court in Bandra that granted him bail, as it is a bailable offence.

Tina as well as Sandhya were colleagues and friends. It was a holiday and they were going to Kurla for a shopping trip. They did not have children.