Mumbai: The DN Nagar police have arrested Shashikant Basavaraj Dhasade (30), a driver employed under the wet-leasing model where a contractor owns and operates the bus, in connection with the death of his colleague, conductor Shekar Rautya (53). Rautya was crushed between two BEST buses on JP Road in Andheri (West) on Thursday afternoon.
How the Incident Unfolded
According to police, the incident occurred after a tree fell on Caesar Road, causing a traffic jam and a collision involving four BEST buses. Rautya stepped out to check the reason for the collision and got trapped between the third and fourth bus.
DN Nagar police arrested Dhasade after reviewing closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage from the fourth BEST bus, which collided with the third bus. A police officer from DN Nagar police station stated, “Dhasade has been booked under BNS sections 106 (causing death due to negligence), 281 (rash driving), and Motor Vehicle Act section 184 (dangerous driving). He has been released on bail. The BEST has initiated an inquiry against Dhasade. We have sought details of Dhasade’s driving experience to determine the reason behind the negligence. He was arrested after CCTV footage showed he reversed the bus while Rautya was crossing between the third and fourth bus.”
Conductor’s Final Moments
Rautya’s final rites were performed on Friday in Virar, where he lived with his wife and three sons; his elder daughter is married. On Thursday, he left his Virar home at 4 or 5 am to join the first shift after a new rota following a rescheduling of his second shift, which ended Wednesday.
The incident occurred at 1:05 pm. Rautya spoke with his second son at 12 noon. The deceased’s son, Prathamesh, told TOI, “I left for work at 12 noon, and an hour later I received a call asking me to rush to Cooper Hospital, saying my father had been admitted. My father spoke with my younger brother an hour before the incident. Initially, the police did not inform us that my father had died. After repeated inquiries, they revealed that he had passed away before admission. We seek justice from BEST and the police. My brother had asked him to bring milk when he returned home. He was a very jolly person. We are yet to come to terms with the loss. It is still unclear which driver’s fault led to my father’s death. When I saw the CCTV, I thought it was the fourth bus that accelerated. However, the police blamed the third bus driver for reversing, trapping my father.”
Concerns Over Wet Lease Drivers
A BEST committee member, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the conductor’s death was unfortunate. “The police and BEST should question the bus drivers to find out exactly what happened, as there were four buses back to back, and this conductor had gotten down and met with the mishap.”
While no information was available about the drivers of these buses, BEST panel member Nitin Nandgaonkar noted that most wet lease drivers have not received proper training and work under stressful conditions. “These drivers are hired from third-party contractors, not directly by wet lease operators. There should be proper training on safe driving skills and road safety. Also, they are paid low salaries,” he added.
