Mumbai: The Dharavi Police have made a significant revelation in the cylinder blast incident that occurred on the evening of March 24. The investigation revealed that the vehicle loaded with gas cylinders was illegally double-parked on the road, which is a clear violation of traffic regulations. It was further discovered that illegal parking charges were being collected from drivers in exchange for parking on public roads.
According to DCP Zone 5 Ganesh Gawde, drivers and illegal parking operators were working in collusion, fully aware that their actions would obstruct traffic and endanger public safety. Following this revelation, the Dharavi Police registered a case against nine individuals for negligence and endangering public lives.
Accused Identified as Gopal Pujari (45) – Gas cylinder tempo driver, Ninad Suresh Kelkar (50) – Owner of the gas agency, Nagesh Subhash Navle (28) – Manager of the gas agency, Velu Nadar – Driver of another tempo, Sonu Gautam Charmohan (24) – Truck driver, Anil Kumar Gupta (50) – Alleged accomplice, Tarbez Tariq Sheikh and Tariq Jabbar Sheikh – Illegal parking operators and Other unidentified vehicle drivers involved in illegal parking
The Dharavi Police have summoned the accused for questioning, but no arrests have been made so far. According to the Dharavi Police, Police Constable Mahendra Vasa Valvi (38) was on patrol at 6 PM on March 24. Around 9:50 PM, while patrolling on LBS Road, he spotted a car engulfed in flames on the roadside. Valvi immediately alerted his senior officers and the fire brigade.
The fire brigade promptly arrived and brought the fire under control. Upon investigation, it was discovered that Gopal Pujari had illegally parked his cylinder-laden truck in double parking, which led to the blast. Fortunately, there were no casualties, but nearby vehicles sustained damage.
The investigation also revealed that Tarbez and Tariq were illegally charging parking fees from car and truck drivers and directing them to park in unauthorized spots. The Dharavi Police have stated that the investigation is ongoing.
