In yet another hit-and-run case, the son of a builder from Walkeshwar allegedly hit a motorcycle with his Honda Accord at Marine Drive on Wednesday, killing one of the two riders and seriously injuring the other.
The car driver then went towards Malabar Hill and hit three parked vehicles before being caught by the police, who said he was drunk. The deceased has been identified as Habib Zulfikar Mohammad Qureshi, 48, who was riding pillion, and the injured man as Abdul Jalil Abdul Shaikh, 50, both residents of Nagpada.
The car driver has been identified as Sushil Rajendra Kothari, 30, a resident of Kalpavruksha Building at Ritz Road in Walkeshwar.
According to the Marine Drive police, the incident occurred around 1.30am at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Road between the Islam and Hindu gymkhanas, when Kothari was speeding towards Walkeshwar.
“As soon as the car reached near the Islam Gymkhana, it hit Shaikh’s Honda Activa. He and Qureshi were on their way home. Kothari then proceeded towards Walkeshwar,” said senior police inspector Z Gharal. “Passers-by alerted the beat marshals, and also provided the number of the car.”
He added: “We soon flashed the number on wireless and within a few minutes Kothari was caught.”
Shaikh and Qureshi were taken to GT Hospital, where Qureshi succumbed to his injuries. “His body was taken to JJ Hospital for post-mortem. Shaikh was shifted to Saifi Hospital, where he is under treatment,” said police inspector MG Inamdar.
At Malabar Hill, Kothari drove into three parked vehicles near the Parsi agyari. The impact made a wheel of Kothari’s car come loose, and he could not drive any further.
A police officer said Kothari was returning from a five-star hotel at Marine Drive. “He was with friends in the hotel, and after the dinner party got over, he took to the wheel.”
Two cases have been registered against Kothari. The Marine Drive police have booked him under the IPC’s section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 279 (rash driving) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by an act endangering life or personal safety of others).
The Malabar Hill police have booked him for rash driving, causing hurt and mischief, causing damage and under sections of the Motor Vehicles Act. Kothari was produced before the Girgaum court and was sent to judicial custody till September 7 in the Malabar Hill case. The Marine Drive police will produce him before court on Thursday.
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