Hit-and-run: Merchant Navy officer in city on leave dies on WEH

The victim – identified as Mayur Patil – came to Mumbai on February 11. As per the police, the accident took place around 7.45pm on Sunday when Patil left his home in Lower Parel and was heading towards Borivali to attend his cousin’s engagement ceremony.

Mumbai: A 38-year-old Merchant Navy officer, who was on a three-month vacation, was killed after an unidentified vehicle dashed his two-wheeler near the Sahara Star Hotel, Vile Parle, on the Western Express Highway (WEH). The police have booked an unknown person and launched a manhunt into the matter.

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The victim – identified as Mayur Patil – came to Mumbai on February 11. As per the police, the accident took place around 7.45pm on Sunday when Patil left his home in Lower Parel and was heading towards Borivali to attend his cousin’s engagement ceremony.

“We are scanning the CCTV cameras covering the road and trying to trace the vehicle,” said a police officer from Vile Parle Police Station.

The victim’s younger brother, Milind Patil, 36, who is also a Merchant Navy and stays at Dahisar, told the police that Patil – who was supposed to join duty next month – collected his son’s clothes for the ceremony and was riding towards Borivali.

“At 6pm, Milind had asked his sister-in-law about his brother, to which she replied that he had left for the occasion on his two-wheeler,” said the police officer, adding that Milind received a call at 8pm from a police officer who had dialled from his brother’s phone informing about the accident.

“We were informed that Patil had died in a hit-and-run accident and we were called to the Cooper Hospital to identify the body,” Milind said in his statement to the police. “My brother’s wife and two children were at our aunt’s residence in Borivali when I got a call from Umesh Dharne, 42, at 8pm.”

According to the police, Patil had suffered a severe head injury due to the impact of the crash and was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital.

“We had received a call on ‘100’ about the accident, however, nobody was able to describe the vehicle that had hit Patil. We are looking for eyewitnesses to identify the accused who fled from the spot without taking the victim to the hospital or informing the police,” added the police officer.

A case has been registered under sections 279 (rash driving), 304A (causing death due to negligence) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act against an unknown person.