One dead, nine hospitalised after drunk man turns steering wheel of BEST bus in Mumbai’s Lalbaug

PTI, Sep 2, 2024, 2:46 PM IST

Mumbai: A 27-year-old woman injured after she was hit by an out-of-control BEST bus in Lalbaug area of Mumbai the previous day died during treatment at a hospital, police said on Monday.

The bus driver lost control of the vehicle after a drunk passenger grabbed the steering wheel during an argument on Sunday night. The bus rammed into pedestrians, cars, and two-wheelers, leaving ten persons injured, three of them seriously.

Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking is the transport wing of Mumbai civic body BMC.

One of the injured persons, identified as Nupura Maniyar, was declared dead on Sunday late night at KEM Hospital. Some injured persons remain admitted at the same hospital, police and civic officials said on Monday.

The drunk passenger, Datta Shinde (45), was arrested under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS). Further investigation is underway, the official added.

According to a police official, the electric bus on Route 66 (from Ballard Pier in south Mumbai) was on its way to Rani Laxmibai Chowk in Sion when the incident occurred near Ganesh Talkies in Lalbaug.