28-year-old Nupura Maniyar, who died in a bus accident in Lalbaug, was working as a clerk in the Income Tax Department and was the sole breadwinner in her family. Nupura lived with her mother and younger sister. Her father had passed away during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now the only earning member of the family is also gone. Nupura was out shopping with her fiancé when the accident occurred.
On Sunday night around 8:30 PM, in front of Sardar Hotel at Lalbaug, Nupura Maniyar, a resident of Muktai Building in Chinchpokli, died in a tragic accident caused by an intoxicated passenger of a BEST bus.
After her father's demise during the COVID-19 pandemic, Nupura Maniyar was offered a compassionate job in the Income Tax Department, where she was working as an Assistant Clerk. Being the elder daughter, Nupura had taken on the responsibility of supporting her mother and younger sister. However, her untimely death has left her family devastated. Notably, Nupura's marriage was arranged, and she was soon to be married. Her sudden demise has also left her fiancé in deep shock.
Nupura and her fiancé, Prathamesh Anjankar (29), had gone shopping at Lalbaug Market on an Activa scooter. As they turned right at the signal in front of Sardar Hotel, a BEST bus collided with their scooter, causing internal injuries to Nupura's ribs and abdomen.
Though Nupura did not sustain external injuries, she succumbed to heavy internal bleeding and low blood pressure at KEM Hospital. Prathamesh, who was riding the scooter while Nupura was sitting behind, sustained a fracture. He was treated at Global Hospital in Parel and later discharged. Prathamesh had secured a job in a bank through the sports quota, and the couple was soon to be married. Unfortunately, Nupura’s death in this tragic accident has left their dreams unfulfilled.
At around 8:30 PM on Sunday, a BEST bus lost control in Lalbaug, colliding with an Activa scooter and two cars. A total of nine people were injured in the accident, with one woman, Nupura Maniyar, losing her life. Senior Police Inspector Sanjay Mohite of Kalachowki Police Station said that a man named Dattatraya Shinde, who was drunk, was a passenger on the bus traveling from CST to Sion. When the bus reached the signal in front of Sardar Hotel, Shinde wanted to get off there and demanded the bus driver stop the bus immediately. The driver refused, stating that the bus would only stop at designated stops, which led to an argument between Shinde and the driver, Prajapati. During the altercation, Shinde tried to grab the steering wheel, causing the bus to go out of control and leading to the accident.
The Kalachowki Police have arrested Dattatraya Shinde in connection with the incident, and he was produced in court, which remanded him to police custody. Shinde, who lives in the Lalbaugcha Raja Cooperative Society building, works as a driver. He has a wife and a son at home.