Man killed as speeding car hits motorbike in Pune; NCP MLA’s nephew held

Pune, Jun 23 (PTI) A 19-year-old man was killed after a car allegedly driven by the nephew of an NCP MLA hit his motorbike on a highway in Maharashtra’s Pune district.

The accused, Mayur Mohite, was arrested after the incident on Saturday, police said, adding the car was speeding on the wrong side of the road.

Khed NCP MLA Dilip Mohite Patil termed the incident as unfortunate and said he will not support any wrongdoing.

The accident took place at around 9.30 pm on Saturday at Mauje Eklahare village on the Pune-Nashik highway in Ambegaon taluka, the police on Sunday said, adding the victim was identified as Om Bhalerao.

“The accused was driving a Fortuner car on Pune-Nashik road. He was driving the car on the wrong side of the road while travelling to Manchar village when the vehicle had a head-on collision with the motorbike. The two-wheeler rider was seriously injured in the accident and lost his life,” a senior police official said.

“Both the vehicles were badly damaged in the incident. The car driver has been arrested and a case has also been registered against him. We are conducting further probe into the incident,” he added.

A case has been registered against the accused by the Manchar police under various Indian Penal Code sections, including 304 A (causing death of a person by a rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide) and provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, the police said.

Though a preliminary probe indicated the accused was not under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident, the police said his blood samples have been collected and reports are awaited.

Legislator Dilip Mohite Patil told reporters, “The incident is unfortunate. I will not support any wrongdoing but I want to say that my nephew never consumes alcohol. The police will probe the matter. He is in police custody and his blood samples have been collected.”

On May 19, two IT professionals were killed in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar after their motorcycle was hit by a speeding Porsche car allegedly driven by a 17-year-old in an inebriated condition.

The juvenile’s father, a realtor, his mother and some other persons were later arrested.

The boy is currently lodged at a juvenile observation home in Pune.