Cyrus Mistry accident: Rash driving case filed against Dr Anahita Pandole

Anahita Pandole, a gynaecologist from Mumbai, and her husband Darius Pandole, who was sitting next to her, were both critically injured.

Image Credit: ANI; Representational Image

Palghar: Police in Maharashtra's Palghar district registered a case against Dr Anahita Pandole on Saturday, two months after former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry died in a car accident. Officials said a case was registered at Kasa police station under Indian Penal Code sections 304(A) (causing death by rash and negligent act), 279 (rash driving on a public road), and 337 (causing death by act endangering life and personal safety of others), in addition to the Motor Vehicles Act. On September 4, 2022, Mistry (54) and his friend Jahangir Pandole were killed in a car crash on a bridge over the Surya river on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway in Palghar, a district adjacent to Mumbai. They were sitting in the back seat of a Mercedes.

Anahita Pandole, a gynaecologist from Mumbai, who was driving the car, and her husband Darius Pandole, who was sitting next to her, were both seriously injured. Witnesses were questioned during the investigation, and reports were obtained from the Regional Transport Office and Mercedes Benz India Pune, according to a police release issued here.  "Based on the reports and investigation, it was determined that the accident was the result of rash and negligent driving," it added, and a case was filed against Dr Anahita Pandole.

According to a police official, Darius Pandole (60) told police in his statement that his wife Dr Anahita was unable to merge the vehicle into the second lane from the third lane of the road, which narrowed near the Surya river bridge. Last week, Darius Pandole was released from a Mumbai hospital.  "In his statement, Darius Pandole said his wife Anahita was driving the Mercedes-Benz car when they were on their way to Mumbai. A car which was ahead of their vehicle went to the second lane from the third and Anahita also tried to follow the same,"  According to the official.

When she attempted to take the car to the second lane, she discovered that there was a truck on the right side (in the second lane), preventing her from merging into that lane, he said, adding that the lane became narrow near the bridge. Anahita Pandole's statement had yet to be recorded because she was still receiving treatment at a hospital, according to police.