I'm sorry, says Aditya Narayan a day after accident

Playback singer and anchor Aditya Narayan on Tuesday expressed regret over an accident involving his car which rammed into an autorickshaw and left two persons injured.

"It was an unfortunate accident... and I feel sorry for what has happened," Aditya told IANS.

It was around 12:30 p.m. when he left his home in Oshiwara suburb to go to Andheri in his Mercedes Benz car when he saw an autorickshaw approaching at high speed from the opposite direction near Lokhandwala Circle.

"I expected him to slow down at the junction, but he didn't brake and took a right turn... I swerved on the left to avoid him and hit the autorickshaw on the side, causing it to topple over twice," Aditya said.

Hearing the commotion, a large crowd gathered, but nobody offered to lend a helping hand, barring an autorickshaw driver who agreed to take the two victims to the Kokilaben Ambani Hospital, barely a kilometre away.

Within minutes after the accident, he ensured that Surekha Ankush Shivekar, 32, and the autorickshaw driver Rajkumar Baburao Palekar, 64, were admitted and treatment started.

"From the lady's mobile phone, I could call up her boss in a beauty parlour where she works and they got in touch with Shivekar's brother and they all turned up at the hospital.

"Then, I quickly rushed home to arrange funds for their treatment... I have decided to bear the full medical expenses of the injured victims, including the widow Shivekar, who is likely to be discharged today. The autorickshaw driver's treatment is likely to continue," he said.

Meanwhile, he arranged for his driver and the badly damaged vehicle to report to the Versova Police Station where a complaint was lodged, and he was later sent to the BMC's R.N. Cooper Hospital for a blood test.

"Aditya has done what any responsible citizen would do. The family has taken care of the injured persons and looking after their medical needs too," his lawyer Zulfikar Memon added.

Aditya said he was charged under Section 337 of Motor Vehicles Act -- "no other offences" -- and fined around Rs 10,000, and granted bail immediately, dismissing all speculation in the matter.

He said he returned home around midnight -- nearly 12 hours after the accident.

He said he again visited the hospital on Tuesday evening to meet and enquire about the health of both the victims, who are now reported to be stable.

Son of celebrated singer Udit Narayan, Aditya has sung several superhit Bollywood numbers like "Ishqayun Dhishqyaun" and "Tattad Tattad..."

--IANS

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