Pune:A drunk cabby hit a bus driver with the cab, dragged him for about 50m on its bonnet and ran him over after he fell on Hadapsar-Saswad Road in Uruli Devachi around 12.30am on Sunday following a quarrel over repeated honking for not giving way.The cabby allegedly stopped after the bus driver, who was also its owner, fell on the road. The Phursungi police said thesuspect went on the reverse for a few metres and stopped again. He then drove towards the victim, Sagar Saykar (35), and allegedly mowed him down.Saykar succumbed to grievous injuries. The cab driver, Krushna Gopal Koilwad (30) of Chakur in Latur, was arrested.Senior inspector Amol More of the Phursungi police said, “Saykar was from Shewalwadi, near Hadapsar. He operated a travel business with his friends. He owned a private luxury bus and drove it himself.”Saykar’s friend, Vijay Shirke (41) of Hadapsar, trailing the victim in another bus, lodged a complaint against the cabby. Senior police inspector More said, “We have invoked charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against the cab driver, Koilwad.”The police said Saykar, the victim, and Shirke were driving two buses from Hadapsar to Wadki Nala to pick up a group of women for a trip to Tuljapur/Akkalkot and other pilgrim centres. “The empty cab was trailing the two buses. Its driver kept honking to overtake the buses, but there was no space,” More said.“Later, Saykar and Shirke pulled their buses off the road in Uruli Devachi, about 20km from the city. The cab driver came from behind and stopped, too. Saykar and Shirke alighted from their buses, knocked on the window of Koilwad’s cab and asked him why he was honking and troubling them. Saykar stood in front of the cab, while Shirke was close to the cab driver’s window. This resulted in a heated verbal exchange,” More said.“The cab driver suddenly accelerated his vehicle and it hit Saykar. The latter jumped and landed on the cab’s bonnet. The cab driver then dragged Saykar on the bonnet for some distance till he fell on the road. The cabby then stopped and drove his car back for a few metres. Before Saykar could get up, the cabby drove towards him and mowed him down,” the officer said.
