The incident occurred between 10am and 10.30am. The victim, Bhaulal Bhondekar, a resident of Samta Nagar, was riding pillion on a motorcycle driven by his friend, Nemchand Bisen, 50, from Samata Nagar, Nari Road. They were navigating the bumpy, unrepaired surface riddled with potholes between Kamal Chowk, Railway Crossing, and extending to Golibar Chowk, when the water tanker approaching from behind grazed the bike. As Bisen lost balance of the bike, Bhondekar fell onto the road and came under the rear wheels of the water tanker.Bhondekar, a daily wage earner, was rushed to Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (Mayo Hospital), where doctors declared him dead on arrival. Bisen too suffered injury on hand due to an old broken tree guard on the roadside. He is undergoing treatment.After the accident, Pachpaoli police staff allegedly manhandled passers-by who were video-graphing the accident for evidence. Pachpaoli police have registered a case against the tanker driver, Rakesh Kumar Nirmal, under Sections 281 (rash driving), 106(1) (causing death by negligence), and 125(A) (endangering life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The Indora to Dighori flyover work has led to barricading, diversions, and digging, worsening the road condition in areas like Panchpaoli and surrounding areas, said residents. “We have been complaining for months about these potholes near the railway crossing and towards Golibar Chowk. Construction vehicles and tankers constantly ply here, but no one fixes the roads. This accident was waiting to happen,” said a local shopkeeper near Kamal Chowk.Police have seized both vehicles and are probing the tanker’s speed and the driver’s actions. “Authorities must act swiftly and repair the affected stretch, impose penalties on errant contractors, and prioritise commuter safety amid infrastructure projects,” said a local resident.
