IRS officer rams into two, kills 1 in Mankhrud

Mumbai: An additional commissioner of income tax was arrested and released on bail by the Mankhurd police in a hit and run case. The officer who was allegedly driving in a sleepy state rammed into two pedestrians who were out on a morning walk. One of them died on the spot while the another has sustained major injuries and has been admitted to hospital. 

According to Mankhurd police, the accused has been identified as a IRS officer Shaktiwell Raju (43) of 1999 batch. He is resident of Belapur and works in the Santacruz-based office of income tax.  

A Mankhurd police officer said, “The accused left his office in the evening. Around 5:30 am in the morning he was driving a car on Chembur-Vashi link road and was headed towards his home. He didn’t realise that he had allegedly rammed into a 40-year-old Pandurang Kokare auto rickshaw driver who was on a morning walk. He then broke a poll and rammed into another man. But he managed to control the vehicle later. Ashok Bhandari (55) was injured in the accident.” 

Krishnat Mane, a police sub-inspector at Mankhurd police station said, “Bhandari’s leg was fractured in the incident. We were patrolling at that time when some passer-by stopped us and narrated the incident. We immediately rushed to the spot and held the IRS officer who showed us his card. But we took him to the police station immediately. We also took Kokare to the hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.”  

Shahaji Umap, Zone 6, DCP said, “During the interrogation, the accused said he had visited some hospital for some medical emergency in his family. His medical report shows that he was not drunk. We have registered his case under a section of IPC 304 (A), 279, 337, 338.”