One-and-a-half months old Johan’s tiny life still hangs in balance. He is fighting for survival in a hospital. His mother Naznin (23) is also nursing serious injuries with her leg fractured. Their world was shattered on Friday night by the recklessness of a drunkard behind the wheel of a Mahindra Logan car that ran over a crowd in the busy Mahal area. Senior Police Inspector Santosh Patil of Kotwali Police Station, on Saturday, said, Johan was in his mother’s lap, who was riding pillion on her husband Wasim’s (28) two-wheeler. The family was on its way to visit relatives when the incident occurred. The speeding car came from the Lakda Pool area and hit Wasim’s two-wheeler near Natraj Talkies. Naznin fell on the road along with the two-wheeler, while Johan fell on the other side head-first on the road. Before Naznin could understand what had happened, the car dragged her along with the two-wheeler.

 

In the process, the car hit a motorcycle driven by Sachin Suryabahan Subhedar (46), a resident of Shivaji Nagar, Mahal. He also fell on the road and sustained grievous injuries. However, the car driver did not stop the vehicle and crashed into vehicles parked on the roadside before hitting pedestrians. The accident plunged the busy street into chaos. Citizens managed to nab the car driver and its occupants. The accused have been identified as Sunny Surendra Chavan (37), Anshul Vijay Dhale (24), both residents of Imambada, and Akash Naresh Maherulia (31), a resident of Gawalipura, Kamptee. According to the police, all three are sanitary workers, with Sunny and Anshul having several criminal offenses registered against them.