Driver of tempo that killed teenage girl on the run

Mumbai: Two days after four kids were run over by a tempo driven by Pappu Pande (32) killing 13-year-old Muskaan Memon on the spot, the police has sent a team to Pande’shometown in Uttar Pradesh to track him down. The police earlier went to his Borivali residence but did not find him there. Pande is believed to be absconding along with a friend, and both have been reported missing since the accident, said a police source.

Police sources at Malvani police station said that the owner of the tempo identified as SonuTiwari was detained on the day of the mishap but arrested by the police on Wednesday.

However, Tiwari was granted bail on Thursday on grounds that the driver behind the wheels was at fault and not him. The driver has been absconding along with a friend since Tuesday, and a team has been sent to nab him from his hometown after the police could not find him at his Mumbai residence.

In the morning on Tuesday, Panderan over four kids who had bunked school and were on their way to Marve beach in Malad. Pande rammed into an auto-rickshaw before running over the children after he lost control of the steering wheel.

VikramDeshmane, deputy commissioner of police zone 11 only said, “No arrests have been made, and the investigation is underway”. An investigating officer requesting anonymity told The Asian Age, “We are yet to track Pande and according to his neighbours, one of his friends has been reported missing too, since Tuesday. The police suspects that both are on the run together.”

Pande has been booked under section 304 of the Indian Penal Code which pertains to culpable homicide not amounting to murder.