Dr. Rajesh Dere, accused of fatally hitting a 60-year-old woman with his car at Lokmanya Tilak Hospital in Sion, was brought before the court on Sunday and subsequently granted bail. Dr. Dere, who works in the forensic medicine department at Sion Hospital, appeared in the Bhoiwada holiday court, where he was released on a personal bond of INR 20,000. His lawyer, Ayush Pasbola, assured the court of full cooperation with the investigation. Dr. Dere was apprehended by Sion police on Saturday.
The victim, Zubaida Sheikh (58), succumbed to her injuries following the accident. Zubaida, who suffered from diabetes, had been admitted to Sion Hospital two weeks earlier due to an injury and swelling in her hand. She was discharged on May 16 after receiving treatment. For the past four days, she had been visiting Sion Hospital for dressings on her injured hand. On Friday evening, after a dressing session, she was struck by a car at entrance number 7 of the hospital, resulting in her death.
Upon receiving news of the accident, Sion police promptly arrived at the hospital, took custody of the body, and conducted a post-mortem examination. They confirmed the identity of the deceased woman on Saturday afternoon and informed her family. The police obtained CCTV footage of the accident late Saturday night and registered a case against Dr. Rajesh Dere, leading to his arrest. Dr. Dere's medical report is pending. He claimed that he personally escorted the woman for medical treatment and denied allegations of speeding.
Zubaida Sheikh had recently relocated with her family to Ghulam Nagar in Mumbra Kausa, having previously lived in Bandra East. She is survived by two sons and two daughters. Her husband works as a security guard at a private establishment in Mumbai. One of her sons works as a delivery boy, while the other is employed in a private capacity.