HC grants bail to SPTPL officials in highway accident case

The Bombay High Court today granted bail to two officials of the Sion Panvel Tollways Private Limited (SPTPL) who were arrested for poor maintenance of the Sion-Panvel highway which allegedly led to an accident in July killing one and injuring three persons.
Justice Bharati Dhangre granted bail to SPTPL senior manager and project head Ramzan Abdulla Patel and operations and maintenance manager Sanjit Srivastav on a bond of Rs one lakh each.
The duo was arrested in September this year after the Navi Mumbai Police registered a case of negligence against them on July 4.
Dhangre, while granting bail to the duo, observed that their custody was not required any more.

The FIR was lodged after an accident on the highway near Uran Phata flyover when a speeding truck on its way to Mumbai rammed the rear end of a pick-up van, which in turn collided with two more trucks. A driver died on the spot while three others suffered serious injuries.
Taking serious note of the accident, the Nerul police registered a case against five persons including SPTPL employees.

According to the police, the highway was poorly maintained and reminders were sent to the company on several ocassions by the traffic police to repair the road before the onset of monsoon.

Senior counsel Rajiv Chavan, appearing for the two in the high court, argued that the accident was a result of rash driving and that the employees of SPTPL had no role to play in it.
He also pointed out to the court a letter dated June 6, 2017, written by the state Public Works Department to SPTPL saying the state would now be maintaining the highway.