Hit-and-run: Auto-rickshaw driver sleeping on beach killed as SUV runs over him; his friend injured

Mumbai, August 14

A tragic hit-and-run incident claimed the life of an auto-rickshaw driver and injured his friend after an SUV ran over them while they were sleeping on Versova beach in Mumbai, officials said on Wednesday.

The incident occurred early on Monday morning and the driver of the SUV, Nikhil Jawle, 34, and his passenger, Shubham Dongre, 33, initially fled the scene but were apprehended within three hours at Igatpuri in Nashik district, they said.

Their vehicle, registered in Nagpur, was traced following a tip-off from a local resident. Authorities have collected blood samples from both suspects to determine if they were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.

Auto-rickshaw driver Ganesh Yadav and his friend Bablu Shrivastava were sleeping at the beach as it was hot in their room located nearby in the Sagar Kutir Rahivasi Sangh slum area, an official from Versova police station said.

Shrivastava, who was partially conscious after the collision, managed to alert the police.

An FIR has been filed against Jawle and Dongre under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Police have emphasised their commitment to investigating these incidents thoroughly, stating, "We are conducting further probe into the case."

They were presented in court on Tuesday and remanded to five days of police custody for further investigation.