Hit and run: Police van claims life of lady advocate

Nagpur: A 34-year-old advocate Neeta Barve was knocked dead on Tuesday morning by a speeding police van. The accident took place at Kannamwar Square, Civil Lines at about 11.30am. Registering officer, PSI RK Pawar said that Barve, a lawyer in the district court and a resident of Santra Market, Bhoipura, was driving her scooter from RBI Square to the district court when the speeding police van hit her from behind at Kannamwar Square, near Vidhan Bhavan.Barve lost balance and fell, hitting her head on the divider.
Sources said that the driver of the police van, instead of stopping and helping the victim, sped away from the spot. Also, though the eyewitnesses claimed that a police van had hit the advocate's scooter, Sitabuldi police initially registered an offence against an unknown driver and vehicle. It was only the probe brought fore in the evening that convinced them that a police van was responsible for the accident.
Pawar said that Barve’s head hit the road divider with such force that the helmet cracked in the middle, causing severe injuries. "She suffered deep head injuries and her skull could almost be seen," said police. Cops also said that Barve wore a helmet that covered her head fully and was properly buckled. The helmet also had an ISI Mark. But in spite of this, sources claimed that the police tried to raise questions over the quality if the helmet.
After the accident, Barve was rushed to the nearby Mayo Hospital where the doctors declared her brought dead.
Police said that the van which caused the accident was seized. “The vehicle ferries the children of police personnel from school to home. We are in the process of recording the statement of the constable driving the van,” said the police.
There was a female conductor in the van too, but till the time of filing the report, she was yet to reach the police station to record her statement.
Those close to Barve said that she belonged to a poor family and had started providing a better life to her parents and a younger sister. Daughter of a fish seller, she had worked hard to improve her family’s financial condition and had asked her father to end his business only a few years back.
Her colleagues said that Barve had been a responsible citizen and would follow all traffic rules, including that of wearing a proper helmet. She was an active member of the District Bar Association (DBA) which has appealed for financial help to the family.