In a recent development, the Palghar police discovered that Dr. Anahita Pandole has a history of breaking traffic laws. She was booked for rash and careless driving that killed industrialist Cyrus Mistry and her brother-in-law Jehangir in September of this year.
Police officials claim that she received 19 e-challans in total, 11 of which were for speeding, between 2020 and 2022. All of these tickets may now be included in the chargesheet that will be submitted this week against her.
“The challans were issued against the vehicle involved in the accident that killed Mistry and Jehangir. When we obtained details of these challans from the Mumbai traffic police, we found that Anahita was captured by speed cameras behind the wheel of the car in these instances,” said Palghar superintendent of police Balasaheb Patil.
“Further inquiries established that the car, registered in the name of JM Financials, is owned by the Pandoles and it was being used by Anahita,” he added.
Pandole had 11 speeding tickets since 2020, according to police
The Mumbai traffic police independently confirmed that 11 of the 19 e-challans issued against Dr. Pandole’s vehicle are for speeding infractions. Two of these were released in 2022, and nine were released in 2021. 19 challans total; 17 of them have been paid.
While two of the challans issued last year were in Pune and Wada, both for speeding, one of the two this year was reported in Thane where the automobile was seen speeding on video.
The analysis report supplied by Mercedes Benz, which established that Anahita was traveling above the speed limit when the collision occurred, served as the foundation for the Kasa police case.
According to the investigation, the car was traveling at 100 kph until five seconds before the crash, and 3.5 seconds before it happened, the driver applied the brakes, slowing the vehicle to 89 kph. Mistry and Jehangir, who were in the back passenger seats, were severely injured when the abrupt braking caused them to crash into the front seats’ backrests.
Dr. Pandole could not dodge the concrete barrier in time said, Darius
After Darius was released from the hospital, the police also recorded his statement. He explained to them why Dr. Pandole could not dodge the concrete barrier in time: her vehicle’s speed.
Dr. Anahita has not yet received a fitness clearance from the medical team, thus the police have not been allowed to record a statement from her.
However, the police have stated that her statement is not required to file a chargesheet.
“Apart from the Mercedes Benz report and Darius’s statement, we also have reports from the Regional Transport Office (RTO) and eyewitness accounts as well as the e-challan details,” said Palghar superintendent of police Balasaheb Patil.
Dr. Pandole was traveling from Udwada to Mumbai on September 4 of this year when her SUV slammed into a concrete barrier near Palghar on National Highway 48. She and her husband Darius Pandole suffered significant injuries in the accident, which also claimed the lives of Mistry and Jehangir. Dr. Pandole is still recovering at the Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital, even though Darius was released from the hospital in November.