'Don't protest, we need peace', says husband of pothole death victim

Bandra Bikerni Jagruti Hogale's husband says apathy and negligence of road authorities killed her. An experienced biker Jagruti Hogale, 35, lost her life because of a pothole on the Dahahu-Jawhar road

Jagruti Hogale's bike hit a pothole near Dahanu

A bereaved Viraj Hogale is doing his best to keep it together. And apart from being the rock for his family in this time of tragedy, he has also extended a comforting hand to the city's biking fraternity.

Also read: Mumbai woman killed in pothole accident

Angry at civic authorities' negligence after experienced biker and member of Bikerni club Jagruti Hogale, 35, lost her life on Sunday morning because of a pothole on the Dahahu-Jawhar road, bikers across the city had planned a protest outside the BMC headquarters at CST. Yesterday, Viraj appealed to them to maintain calm, sending the message: "Don't protest, we need peace".

Jagruti Hogale with her husband Viraj and their son

Assistant director of HOG riders Mahendra Jain told mid-day, "We have a big biker gang - over 200 members. We had planned to park our bikes in front of the civic body's headquarters at CST and carry out a silent protest, holding up a flag bearing our grievance. But after Viraj requested us to respect the fact that it was a family issue, and that he didn't want her name used in the protest, we cancelled the programme."

Also read: Meet the woman behind India's first all-female bikers group

Ire against authorities
The grieving family of the Bandra biker has demanded action against authorities responsible for maintaining the road stretch.

Jagruti was said to have been trying to overtake a truck when her bike landed in a pothole, making her lose her balance.

Biker Jagruti Hogale and the stretch where she died

While the police have registered a case of rash driving against the truck driver, Viraj has blamed the authorities for not repairing the road. "Three days ago, I had taken the same route on my way to Gujarat. The entire stretch is riddled with pits. I blame the government, not the truck driver, for what happened to my wife," an inconsolable Viraj said.

Hogale with her son

He further said his wife had always followed safety measures while riding. "She was a safe rider. The accident took place because she didn't seen the pothole," he added. Viraj's brother Vishal said, "If the authorities had undertaken road repairs seriously, my sister-in-law would not have died."

Just family
Jagruti's cremation was conducted on Sunday. Viraj's relatives revealed that he didn't allow any of her biking club members inside the crematorium, with just family and close relatives present for the last rites.

Jagruti had left her home in Bandra East, for a biking trip to Jawhar on Sunday. Eyewitnesses said on the Dahanu-Jawhar road, she hit the pothole and fell under the truck, getting crushed under the vehicle's tyres and sustaining severe head injuries. Passers-by had rushed her to a local hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

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