Aditya Narayan apologises for ramming car into rickshaw

Pic courtesy: Show still

New Delhi:  Singer-actor-host Aditya Narayan was on Monday detained by Versova Police after his car hit an autorickshaw in Mumbai's Andheri. However, the singer on Tuesday expressed regret over the accident involving his car which rammed into an autorickshaw and left two people injured.

"It was an unfortunate accident... and I feel sorry for what has happened," Aditya told IANS.

According to the IANS report, Aditya left his home around 12:30 p.m to go to Andheri in his Mercedes Benz car when he saw an auto-rickshaw approaching at high speed from the opposite direction near Lokhandwala Circle.

"I expected him to slow down at the junction, but he didn't stop and took a right turn... I turned left to avoid him and hit the autorickshaw on the side, causing it to topple over twice," Aditya said.

A large crowd gathered around the accident site but nobody offered to lend a helping hand, except for an autorickshaw driver who agreed to take the two victims to the Kokilaben Ambani Hospital, which was barely a kilometer away from the accident spot.

Minutes after the accident, Aditya ensured that Surekha Ankush Shivekar, 32, and the autorickshaw driver Rajkumar Baburao Palekar, 64, were admitted and treatment started.

"From the lady's mobile phone, I could call up her boss in a beauty parlor where she works and they got in touch with Shivekar's brother and they all turned up at the hospital," he said 

"Then, I quickly rushed home to arrange funds for their treatment... I have decided to bear the full medical expenses of the injured victims, including the widow Shivekar, who is likely to be discharged today. The autorickshaw driver's treatment is likely to continue," Aditya added.

Meanwhile, he arranged for his driver and took the badly damaged vehicle to report to the Versova Police Station where a complaint was lodged, and he was later sent to the BMC's R.N. Cooper Hospital for a blood test.

"Aditya has done what any responsible citizen would do. The family has taken care of the injured persons and looking after their medical needs too," his lawyer Zulfikar Memon added.

Aditya said he was charged under Section 337 of Motor Vehicles Act -- "no other offenses" -- and fined around Rs 10,000, and granted bail immediately, dismissing all speculation in the matter.

He said he returned home around midnight, nearly 12 hours after the accident.

Aditya visited the hospital again on Tuesday evening to meet and inquire about the health of both the victims, who are now reported to be stable.

Son of celebrated singer Udit Narayan, Aditya has sung several superhit Bollywood numbers like 'Ishqayun Dhishqyaun' and 'Tattad Tattad...'

(With inputs from IANS)