53-year-old architect from Bhopal killed in road accident in Thane

THANE: A 53-year-old architect from Bhopal, who was vacationing in Thane, was killed after being hit by a Mahindra Thar driven by a 19-year-old, while crossing the Eastern Express Highway on Thursday. The speeding Thar broke down on the side of the road following the accident, leading to the immediate arrest of the driver, Shwet Pravin Jaiswal, by the Naupada police. He was later released on bail.
The victim, Venkat Maniyala, is a well-known architect from Bhopal and was in Thane with eight of his friends for their annual picnic to Alibag, when the fatal accident took place. He is the sole breadwinner of his family and leaves behind his wife and two young children.
A friend of the deceased informed the police that they had left Bhopal on August 28 and planned to stay for a day in Thane at a hotel in Wagle Estate. One of the friends suggested dining at the Kath and Ghat Restaurant in Thane and while they were on their way to that place, the Thar hit Maniyala at around 11:30 pm on the Eastern Express Highway.
The driver of the car, Jaiswal, was also with his friends when the accident took place. “We promptly arrested the accused after registering the case against him under Sections 106(1) (causing death by negligence) and 281 (driving in a manner so rash or negligent as to endanger human life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, for driving a motor vehicle at a speed or in a manner that is dangerous to the public. We have recovered CCTV footage and all necessary evidence from the spot,” said a police officer attached to the Naupada police station.