Mumbai Crime: Rash driving cabbie kills woman in Wadala

Supriya Kattimanigaudar was walking to one of the houses where she worked when the accident took place, near Dosti Acres

A housekeeper died after a kali-peeli rammed into her and hit a parked vehicle in Wadala on Saturday night. Locals said they have complained to the local authorities and the police about the growing shared taxi menace in the area and similar accidents over the past few years, but cops have not paid any heed.

The recent incident took place around 8.30 pm on Saturday when Supriya Kattimanigaudar, 35, was walking near Dosti Acres, a residential complex in Wadala. Sources said that the deceased worked as a house help and was heading to one of the houses when the accident took place.

"A kali-peeli Omni cab hit her and another vehicle which was parked on the road. Her head came between the vehicles and got smashed. At the time of the incident, there were three children walking with her; luckily they survived," said a local resident.

The taxi which hit her was damaged and the windscreen broke due to the impact. The driver of the taxi was arrested and granted bail by the court, said Senior Inspector Milind Jadhav of Wadala Police Station.

The taxi that rammed into her

Another local said, "Supriya used to work at my house too. She was a hard worker. She is survived by three kids, the eldest is aged 13 and the youngest 3." The resident added that several such accidents have taken place in the area, especially between Sangam Nagar and Wadala, as the taxi drivers there drive rashly.

Locals also alleged that they have made multiple complaints to the police, but no one has paid attention. "We are not against shared taxis, but given the way it has been operating, there is a need to regulate this. Most of these drivers on this route are minors, and some of them drive under the influence of drugs. The cops are aware of the problem but are not taking any action," said Rahul Daga, a local resident and an activist.

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He added that when Rakesh Maria was the commissioner of police between 2014 and 2015, the locals had met him and the problem was sorted for a while. The problem started again after some time with no checks on the drivers plying kali-peelis on this stretch.