Sea Link victims not as 'lucky' as Princess Diana

While CCTV footage formed major evidence at Di's inquest, BWSL cameras won't help in schoolboy, accountant's car crash deaths

While CCTV footage formed major evidence at Di's inquest, BWSL cameras won't help in schoolboy, accountant's car crash deaths

Extraordinary footage, captured by 31 CCTV cameras in the Ritz Hotel, Paris, on August 30, 1997, a few hours before Princess Diana and boyfriend Dodi Fayed died in a car crash provided crucial evidence in the inquest hearing of her death.
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Unfortunately, vital evidence in the Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL) accident that killed a schoolboy in a Skoda Fabia and the passenger in a Wagon R taxi may have been lost forever.

There was no power supply to the CCTV cameras at the spot where the accident occurred on the BWSL.

Unsnapped: Unlike the Ojas Mehtau00a0case, CCTV images helped officials investigate Princess Diana's car crash, and 26/11

The Bandra police have now written to the MSRDC deman-ding an explanation, as the camera footage would've been proof of the complainant's (cab driver) statement against the Skoda driver.

The Incident

On Tuesday, schoolboy Ojas Mehta (13) and accountant Mathur Rajamani Sitaram (40) died after the vehicles in which they were travelling (a Skoda Fabia driven by Brijesh Kumar Singh) and Wagon R taxi (with Rajkumar Sharma on the drivers seat) met with an accident on the BWSL.

Incidentally, two crucial cameras were damaged in the accident, as the pole they were mounted on fell after the Skoda rammed into it.

Senior Inspector Prakash George of Bandra police station said, "We have learnt from MSRDC officials that they were carrying out regular maintenance work on BWSL that morning and as a practice, they had switched off the power supply and, therefore, the cameras were not operational at the time of the accident."

George confirmed that he had written to MSRDC seeking an official feedback from them on the issue.

He added, "The CCTV footage was crucial evidence and its footage of the accident would have facilitated the investigation. The images would have also cleared doubts about speculative accusations."

The Other Side

A senior MSRDC official said, "Yes, the power supply had been cut off on BWSL, but not on the entire stretch."