Godman Bhaiyyu Maharaj's convoy of cars knocks down flower seller in Kurla

Flower vendor Manoj Gadkari suffered three fractures in his leg

Ever since Madhya Pradesh's famous godman Bhaiyyu Maharaj visited Mumbai, a 53-year-old flower seller in Kurla can do little else but pray. On April 23, a fleet of cars ferrying the spiritual guru knocked down the flower vendor and broke his leg. The cars slowed down only for a moment, before leaving the man helpless on the road. Now the family is struggling to raise funds for his treatment.

MLA Mangesh Kudalkar had invited Bhaiyyu Maharaj to the city. Pics/Rajesh Gupta/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Manoj Gadkari, 53, a resident of Nehru Nagar, was crossing the road around 3.30 pm, when Bhaiyyu's convoy was passing by. "My father was crossing the road when the car in front of Bhaiyyu's car dashed his right leg. My father fell on the road," said Manoj's son, Jay, 25. "Pedestrians went running towards my father. The fleet of cars slowed down for a while, but neither Bhaiyyu nor anyone else bothered to look outside or step down from their car," he added.

CCTV grabs show how Manoj Gadkari was mowed down by one of the cars in the convoy

Injured and penniless
The accident fractured Manoj's leg in three places, and he had to undergo a surgery at Somaiya Hospital, so an iron rod could be placed in the shattered leg. Not only has the accident left Manoj unable to tend to his flower stall at the SCLR junction, but the family is now scrambling to raise the money for his treatment. "I had to ask people for money to finance my father's treatment. We are debt ridden now, with no one to look after us," said Jay.

So far, the family has spent R1.5 lakh on treatment. After learning about the incident, MLA Mangesh Kudalkar, who had invited Bhaiyyu for the inauguration of a temple, visited the hospital last morning. "I personally met the victim, Manoj Gadkari, and assured to take care of all the expenses," said Kudalkar. "I have also informed the office of Bhaiyyu Maharaj regarding the incident," he added.

Copspeak
While his assurance was to take care of all the medical expenses, Jay confirmed that the MLA had so far given them Rs 25,000. "He gave us the money and assured to help us if we need it again. Bhaiyyu has not offered any financial assistance so far," said the victim's son. The police have discovered that the car that hit the victim belongs to Bhaiyyu's disciple, who lives in Pune. The police will go to Pune to enquire who was driving the car.

The Nehru Nagar police have registered an offence against the unidentified driver of the Volvo car. "We registered an offence under Sections 279 (rash driving), 338 (causing grievous hurt by endangering personal safety of others) of the IPC, along with relevant sections of the Motor Vehicle Act. We will find out who the driver was and arrest him," said DCP (Zone 6) Shahaji Umap.

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