OLA driver flees after crashing car, injuring passengers at BKC

Jithin said he asked the police for the belongings - two mobile phones and a purse which might be in the car, but they are missing

A holiday with his grandparents in Mumbai ended badly for a five-year-old and his mother, when an OLA driver crashed the car carrying them into a tree at the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC). The boy, his mother, and grandfather were injured in the mishap in which his grandmother escaped unscathed, early on December 11.

The driver fled after the incident. The boy's father has accused the BKC police of not registering an FIR against the driver, though he spent hours at the police station. It's only after he tweeted about it to the Mumbai police that he claimed the BKC police called him back. However, an FIR was not registered until Friday.

What happened
P Janardhanan Pavoor, 67, booked an OLA cab on December 11 to drop his daughter Soja, 32, and her son, Advik, to the airport. His wife Sumithra, 51, also accompanied them. Around 5.30 am, their car met with the accident. When the driver fled, locals helped them get to the Nanavati Hospital.

Jithin, Soja's husband said, "My father-in-law and wife sustained head injuries and son broke his collarbone. Fortunately my mother-in-law was not injured. My father-in law had to be admitted to the ICU. I paid more than Rs 1 lakh for the medical bills at Nanavati Hospital. Now I have taken my son to Apollo Hospital, Navi Mumbai for further treatment." While running around from one hospital to another was one set of problems for the family, when Jithin approached the local police, he realised what the other was.

Police station ke chakkar
"On December 12 I went to the BKC police station to get the belongings left in the car - two mobile phones, a purse with Rs 600, a debit card and a PAN card. But nobody helped. After two hours I left for the hospital and tweeted to Mumbai police. Then I got a call and was asked to meet the senior PI. When I went back in the evening, the police helped, but did not lodge my FIR. An officer told me he would call me back to file the FIR."

Police refute allegation
Sr. PI Kalpana Gaikwad when questioned about this said, "We have seized the vehicle and returned their belongings. Nobody met me. Also the family was not ready to file an FIR. They said they were waiting for their son-in-law. But he too was not ready to file the case." However, Jithin said, "The police are lying. Why would I not file an FIR? My family is injured, I have to claim medical insurance."

OLA says driver suspended
He also tweeted to OLA, with pictures of the car. OLA responded, "Thank you for sharing the details. We have put the driver partner under suspension and our safety team will reach out to you shortly."

When contacted by mid-day, an OLA spokesperson said the same, "We regret the incident and pray for the speedy recovery of the injured. The driver involved in the accident has been immediately suspended from our platform. We are in touch with the customer and will extend all our support to the authorities in investigating this case." The spokesperson added, "The trip was covered under first of its kind policy Chalo Befikar, which the customer can avail of." This means the family can claim medical insurance as per OLA's terms for the injuries in the mishap.

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