Irony of Fate: BMC Worker Killed by Hit-and-Run Driver on Mumbai Road He Monitored via CCTV
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
A 36-year-old Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation contract worker, Vikram Shantaram Bhalekar, died after being struck by an unidentified speeding car in Ghatkopar East on October 10. The tragic crash was captured entirely by a closed-circuit television camera that Bhalekar himself had previously installed along the stretch.
The incident took place on the Eastern Express Highway service road near Adani Tower during the victim's night shift. According to police records, Bhalekar was sitting on a road divider, positioned safely away from the main thoroughfare, when the vehicle rammed into him. The impact dragged his body ten to fifteen feet before the driver fled the scene without stopping to render assistance.
Post-Mortem Findings and Family Struggles
The post-mortem report revealed catastrophic injuries, including a crushed skull and severe trauma down the left side of Bhalekar's body, alongside distinct tyre tracks. Family members noted that Bhalekar worked multiple jobs to support his wife and six-year-old daughter. Beyond his municipal sanitation duties maintaining equipment, he took on shifts as an electrician, wi-fi operator, and artisan decorating Ganesh idols.
His elder brothers, Jitendra and Yogesh, expressed deep anguish over the circumstances of the collision. Relatives questioned how a vehicle could strike someone resting on a divider, pointing to inadequate lighting and safety enforcement along the highway stretch. The family remains the sole breadwinner short of financial security and is demanding strict legal accountability and adequate state compensation.
Police Investigation and Missing Vehicle Details
Pant Nagar police registered a First Information Report under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Motor Vehicles Act against an unknown driver. Investigators confirmed that the footage from the victim's own camera failed to capture a readable registration plate due to low-light blur and distance, leaving the make and model of the car unidentified.
Senior Police Inspector Lata Sutar stated that four special teams have been formed to track down the culprit. Authorities are scanning extended footage from adjacent junctions to trace the vehicle's route, aiming to break the dead-end in a case where the victim's own professional installation recorded his final moments.
