Two women killed as travels bus door hits rickshaw; driver, cleaner arrested

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Two women from Waluj died early Wednesday when an open luggage door of a moving travels bus struck their rickshaw on the Panchvati Chowk–Lohkhandi Bridge road. The group was returning from Kubereshwar Dham in Sehore, Madhya Pradesh.

Ten women from the city had travelled to Sehore on 17 November. Lata Raju Pardeshi (47) and Asha Raju Chavan (40) died on the spot. The group of friends from Waluj Asha, Lata, Mangal Gavhane, Bharati Eknure, Seema Kakade, Anita Motkar, Shanta Balaiya, Shobha Wagh and two others. Bharati Eknure and Mangal Gavhane were injured. The three women on the middle seat and the driver escaped. Eight began their return journey on Wednesday via the Bhopal–Manmad route and reached the city at 3 am. Seven hired a rickshaw to go to Waluj. Around 4 am, the rickshaw turned toward Lohkhandi Bridge. A Purple Travels bus (MP-09-AK-8016) approached from the opposite side. Its right-side luggage door, left open by the cleaner, was jutting out. The rickshaw driver did not see it in the dark. The door hit the rear seat directly. The bus driver continued moving and dragged the rickshaw until it overturned. Locals heard the sound and alerted police. Chavani police reached the spot. The injured were taken to a private hospital. Locals detained the bus driver, Chennavari Shrikant Guve (29), and cleaner Raj Sunil Bairagi (20), when they tried to flee. Police arrested both after Lata’s brother, Balu Dusre, filed a complaint. Dr Vivek Jadhav, in-charge of Chavani police station, confirmed the arrests.