2 members of Govinda pathak killed as container rams bike

THANE: Two young boys from Bhiwandi who had recently participated in the Dahi Handi festival during Janmashtami and won cash prizes were killed on Monday after a container hit their two-wheeler on the Mumbai-Nashik highway. A friend of the duo, who was travelling with them on the same scooter, escaped with minor injuries. The incident occurred near the Shangri-La Resort in Wadpe village within Bhiwandi tehsil, when the boys were returning home from a picnic in at a farmhouse in Shahapur taluka to celebrate their success in the Dahi handi festival.

The deceased were identified as 15-year-old Ashish Laljit Verma, a resident of Taware compound and 18-year-old Khursheed Alam alias Ayaan Naazir Ali Ansari, a resident of Gupta compound. Their friend who sustained injuries was identified as Rahul Hiralaal Prajapati, 21. All three were members of a Govinda pathak, a group that participates in Dahi Handi competitions.

According to the police, after winning prize money worth ₹10,000 last week, the group of 20-25 boys decided to go on a picnic. On September 1, they visited a farmhouse in Vasind village under Shahapur taluka. On Monday morning, Verma, Alam and Prajapati left the farmhouse on a scooter for their homes in Bhiwandi. While they were passing through Wadpe, a speeding container truck rammed the scooter hit from the rear side.

“The container dragged the bike for some distance. Prajapati, who was driving, fell to the side of the road and escaped with minor injuries whereas the two pillion riders were run over by the container and died on the spot,” said a police officer. The accused driver fled from the spot after the accident, he added.

Based on Prajapati’s complaint, a case was registered against the unknown truck driver at Bhiwandi taluka police station under sections 106, 281, 125 (A), 125 (B) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and sections 184, 187 of the Motor Vehicles Act.