Biker still critical, wife seeks justice

Something hit me, says pillion rider

MUMBAI: The family of Kishore Kandagiri, 41, who is battling for life at Sion hospital after an “encounter” with traffic cops on the Eastern Express Highway near Vikhroli on Tuesday, has decided to take on the police. They dispute the police version that he skidded and fell while trying to race away from traffic cops at the Godrej signal and ask how a case can be booked against him.

Standing outside the intensive care unit of Sion Hospital, a nervous Jeeja, Kandagiri’s wife, told DNA that people who witnessed the accident told her a helmet was thrown at him by a traffic constable because of which he lost control of his bike.

“I will file a police complaint against the constable responsible for the accident,” Jeeja said. “If I do not get justice there, I will approach the courts and, if need be, the human rights commission.”

However, the police are sticking to their guns. Joint commissioner Vijay Kamble said on Wednesday that the incident at Vikhroli was being investigated.  

But he did not say if any action would be taken against the two traffic policemen who were at the site at the time.

Dinesh Kewat, who was riding pillion with Kandagiri, said, “We were travelling at high speed when we reached the signal, so we could not stop immediately and had to jump the signal. So the traffic police started chasing us. Something hit me from behind and I fell on Kandagiri who lost control of the bike and we fell.”

There were conflicting reports of how Kandagiri’s bike skidded. Some witnesses said one of the policemen hurled a lathi or a helmet at the speeding vehicle. But Kamble said, “We never give a lathi or stick to any traffic policemen. As for the helmet, if the policeman had one, he would most likely have kept it on his own two-wheeler. I don’t think he would be carrying it around to hurl at other bikers.”

Kamble claimed Kandagiri was zigzagging his way between the vehicles that had stopped at the Godrej signal and jumped the red light, at which point the traffic policemen rushed forward to stop him.

“They stopped the bike and the officers asked for the vehicle papers and why the riders were not wearing helmets,” he said. “Since the engine was on, they revved it up and rode off. After going a little distance, in an attempt to see whether the policemen were giving chase, Kandagiri lost his balance and the bike skidded.”

Deputy Commissioner of police Dattatray Karale, however, said, “We have already told the traffic police branch to check the matter and take suitable action against constable Yunus Pathan, who allegedly hit Kandagiri while chasing them.”

Kandagiri’s family is stunned by the police action. “Surprisingly, police have registered a case against him and not taken any action against the officers responsible for all this,” Jeeja said. Police have registered a case of rash and negligent driving against Kandagiri.

Doctors at the hospital told Jeeja that Kandagiri was in a comatose state and his condition continued to be “very critical”. On Tuesday hospital sources had told DNA that Kandagiri had succumbed to severe head injuries.

On Wednesday, Dr Suleman Merchant, radiologist at the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital, Sion, said his condition was critical. “The damage to his brain is massive and there are multiple fractures on his skull,” he said.

Kandagiri has lost an eye and fractured his mandible, damaging his face. His legs are badly damaged as is one hand.