FIR against Shabana Azmi's driver for rash driving

Mumbai, January 19

An FIR has been registered against the driver of veteran actor Shabana Azmi for rash and negligent driving, after her car met with an accident on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway in Maharashtra, police said on Sunday.

Azmi (69), who was injured in the accident which took place on Saturday, is undergoing treatment at Kokilaben Ambani Hospital in suburban Andheri and is "stable", the hospital's Executive Director and CEO Dr Santosh Shetty told PTI.

Driver Kamlesh Kamath (38), who sustained minor injuries in the incident, was apparently trying to overtake another vehicle when Azmi's Tata Safari car rammed into a truck near Khalapur, about 60 km from here in neighbouring Raigad district, a local police official earlier said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among those who expressed concern about the actor after the news came.

"The news of @AzmiShabana Ji's injury in an accident is distressing. I pray for her quick recovery," Modi tweeted.

The news of @AzmiShabana Ji’s injury in an accident is distressing. I pray for her quick recovery.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 18, 2020

Azmi's husband, lyricist Javed Akhtar, was travelling in another car, Raigad Superintendent of Police Paraskar told PTI on Sunday.

"We have booked driver Kamlesh Kamath under Indian Penal Code Sections 279 and 337 for rash and negligent driving and provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act. He is not yet arrested," Paraskar said.

The car will be sent for an inspection to RTO (regional transport office) to ascertain if there was any fault in the vehicle or if the mishap took place after the driver lost control, he said.

After the incident, Azmi was first rushed to MGM Hospital in Navi Mumbai and later shifted to the Kokilaben Ambani Hospital here.

"We will collect Azmi's medical report from the MGM Hospital where she was initially taken. The driver's medical examination was also conducted and he was not found under the influence of alcohol," Paraskar said.

Meanwhile, Dr Shetty at the Kokilaben Ambani Hospital said the actor's health condition is "stable".

"Azmi is recuperating. She is stable and under observation. No surgery, operation was performed during the night...she is undergoing medical treatment," he said.

Also read: Shabana Azmi injured in accident on Mumbai-Pune Expressway

After some TV channels showed an injured Azmi being carried out of her car, actor Varun Dhawan requested the media not to broadcast or publish such images.

"To all my dear friends in the media if someone has met with an accident please do not splash their pictures all over it can be extremely distressing to their family and loved ones. This is just a humble request thank you," he wrote on twitter.

To all my dear friends in the media if someone has met with an accident please do not splash their pictures all over it can be extremely distressing to their family and loved ones.This is just a humble request thank you 🙏

— Varun SAHEJ Dhawan (@Varun_dvn) January 18, 2020

Actor Shraddha Kapoor made a similar appeal.

"Please have some empathy and sensitivity and think how distressing this can be to their family members and loved ones. Please take it down immediately. Thank you," she tweeted.

This is a request to all our friends in the media if someone has met with an accident please don’t put up those photos.Please have some empathy and sensitivity and think how distressing this can be to their family members and loved ones.Please take it down immediately.Thank you.

— Shraddha (@ShraddhaKapoor) January 18, 2020

"I pray for the speedy recovery of @AzmiShabana ji," actor Retiesh Deshmukh tweeted.

I pray for the speedy recovery of @AzmiShabana ji... 🙏🏽🙏🏽 https://t.co/DVcW8xJ3tR

— Riteish Deshmukh (@Riteishd) January 18, 2020

Akhtar celebrated his 75th birthday on Friday.

Azmi is known for her path-breaking roles in films such as 'Arth', 'Ankur', 'Paar', 'Masoom' and 'Godmother'.

She has won several national and international awards including Padma Bhushan. — PTI

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