Transport minister injured in road mishap

State transport minister Diwakar Raote suffered a minor leg injury after his Toyota Innova was hit by a Swift Dzire in Lower Parel on Wednesday afternoon. Mr Raote, who was seated in the front seat luckily escaped with a minor injury as the air bags in his car inflated on time. The driver of the Swift Dzire suffered internal injuries and has been admitted to JJ Hospital.

According to the NM Joshi Marg police, the incident occurred at around 1.30 pm at the Senapati Bapat Road junction in front of HDFC Bank near Kamala Mills in Lower Parel.

Mr Raote was moving in the direction of Mumbai Central from Dadar. The minister’s car was driven by his driver Babasaheb Gite and his PA Ashok Gavane was seated in the middle seat.

While taking a U-turn, the Swift Dzire collided head on with the minister’s car. The 19-year-old driver Brijesh Ram Palat Yadav, a Malad resident, suffered minor injuries.

Due to the collision, the minister suffered a minor leg injury, his driver Gite suffered a minor internal injury and Gavane suffered a minor injury on his chin. “Yadav has been booked under sections 279 (Rash driving or riding on a public way), 337 (Causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 427 (Mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of the IPC and section 184 (driving dangerously) of the Motor Vehicles Act. He will be produced before a magistrate’s court on Thursday,” said sub-inspector Rekha Jadhav.