Metal wire slices biker’s throat

Nitasha Natu / TNN / Updated: Mar 24, 2012, 04:47 IST

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Investigators said that while the cable had been removed, the wire that killed electrician Israr Ahmed Khan and injured pillion driver Ram Bhawan Pal (20), had been carelessly left behind.

MUMBAI: In an incident that has shocked and angered Mumbaikars, a 27-year-old biker died when his throat was sliced by an illegal metal wire dangling from a streetlight at Jogeshwari (E) on the Western Express Highway, on Wednesday evening. The wire had been strung upon a lamppost to support an overhead cable.
Investigators said that while the cable had been removed, the wire that killed electrician Israr Ahmed Khan and injured pillion driver Ram Bhawan Pal (20), had been carelessly left behind.Khan was still alive after the incident, but when Pal took him rushed him to a private hospital, he was allegedly denied admission.
Eventually, Khan was wheeled into Cooper Hospital but by then he had succumbed to his injuries.
Elaborating on the sequence of events, a senior official said, “The supporting metal wire had already come off on the north-bound str

etch of the highway near Renuka Park. But it was at quite a height and did not pose a threat to cars and two-wheelers. On Thursday, a truck happened to strike the wire and dragged it down further. The wire struck a streetlight, smashing its bulb, before hitting the electric box mounted on the streetlight pole.” It was now hanging dangerously low on the highway.

Early Wednesday evening, electrician Israr Ahmed Khan and his employee Bhawan Pal had completed some electric work on the Andheri-Kurla Road and were headed back home to Nalasopara. Khan was wearing a helmet. A little before 5pm, they passed the stretch on the Western Express Highway where the wire was dangling dangerously from a lamp post. As Khan passed it, the wire snagged his throat.

Khan could not suddenly bring his speeding bike to a halt; the wire got dragged for a distance before it snapped and sliced his throat. Pal, who was riding pillion, also felt the wire slash his cheek. “Khan lost control of his bike and it skidded a distance 50m, throwing off both men,” said the official.

The Jogeshwari police, who have registered a case of negligence under Section 304 (A) of the IPC against an unidentified person , are also questioning local cable television providers to find out who was responsible for putting up the wire in the first place.

The site of the accident has been cleared, but shop-owners told TOI that illegal overhead cables and wires are still mounted on other parts of the highway in the Jogeshwari-Andheri belt.

Khan, who lives in Nalasopara, is survived by his wife, two children and his brother . His family said that he has never been involved in a biking accident, and is still coming to terms with his untimely death. Khan’s damaged bike was towed to the Jogeshwari police station and his family has now claimed it. According to the post mortem report Khan died because of shock and multiple injuries.

About the Author

Nitasha Natu

Nitasha Natu is a Senior Assistant Editor with the Times of India and writes on gender, human rights, road safety and law enforcement. She has received the Laadli Media & Advertising Award for Gender Sensitivity in 2021. She tweets @nnatuTOI

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