A tragic incident shook the city’s police fraternity today as Ganesh (Bablu) Atmaram Patil, a 43-year-old traffic constable, died after being crushed by a Hydra crane while on duty at Mahape MIDC.
The accident occurred around on Thursday at around 12 PM when Constable Patil, deployed for traffic regulation near a busy industrial lane, was reportedly hit by a turning Hydra vehicle. The driver claimed he couldn’t see the constable and by the time he realized it, the mishap had already taken place.
Patil was immediately rushed to Vashi Municipal Hospital, where he was declared brought dead due to critical internal injuries. The Navi Mumbai Police have taken the crane driver into custody and initiated a thorough investigation. Preliminary findings suggest possible negligence.
Hailing from Samner village, Pachora taluka in Jalgaon district, Constable Patil was remembered as a dedicated and soft-spoken officer. He was the younger son of retired PSI Atmaram Daga Patil and younger brother of journalist Rajendra Atmaram Patil, the Deputy Editor and Navi Mumbai Bureau Chief of Pudhari newspaper.