Tragic: Mumbai Ophthalmologist dies as iron gate falls on her head after being rammed by van

Mumbai: In a tragic incident, a 53-year-old Ophthalmologist at the Shanmukhananda Charitable Community Health Centre, Matunga succumbed to serious head injuries sustained when an iron gate fell on her head after a speeding Omni van collided against it within a building compound in Matunga.

The deceased identified as Dr Meghali Bhattacharjee, an eye surgeon was waiting for a taxi with her elderly mother and aunt when suddenly the driver of the Omni van ferrying samosas from the famous Guru Kripa in Sion in the van collided with the iron gate resulting in a serious accident.  

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The accident claimed the life of Dr Meghali who never regained consciousness due to heavy blood loss after she was rushed to the nearest hospital and was declared dead two hours later after being moved to Hinduja Hospital, TOI report. 

Following the accident, the police arrested the accused driver under section 304A (death caused due to negligence), 279 (rash driving), 336 (reckless or negligent action that puts human life in danger or threatens personal safety), section 184 (driving dangerously) of the Motor Vehicles Act among others but was released on bail after he was presented in court on Saturday morning.  

The incident took place on Friday at around 4:30 pm after the deceased's mother and aunt were waiting for her after an eye checkup at her clinic within the building compound. After the doctor joined them, they were waiting for a taxi to return home to Andheri.

Suddenly, they heard a loud thud and the gate fell on her head after it was broken into two parts due to the heavy impact from the collision. Apart from the doctor, her mother and aunt also sustained injuries on their legs and arms. 

Speaking to the Free Press Journal, her mother said, “While we three were waiting inside the compound, we heard a loud thud and seconds later, a white colour Omni van crashed the iron gate which fell in our direction." She claimed that a major part of the huge gate fell on the doctor's head.

Subsequently, the staff of Dr Meghali’s clinic rushed her to Kikabhai Hospital in Sion. She was bleeding profusely and was not gaining consciousness following which she was moved to Hinduja Hospital for critical care. However, she could not be saved as she lost a large amount of blood due to her head injuries and was declared dead at 6.46 pm on Friday.

According to the police, the driver alleged that the vehicle's brake was not working. He tried to stop hitting the brake of the van but realised he had lost control of the vehicle. Intending not to hit anyone, the driver claimed that he rammed into the iron gate, and unfortunately, the three individuals were on the other side of the gate.

V Shankar, president of the Shanmukhananda Fine Arts and Sangeetha Sabha told TOI, "Dr Bhattacharjee headed the eye department of the Sabha’s hospital for the last 20 years. She was extremely popular and people would come for their cataract surgery to her from across the city."

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