Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Aug 2: A BEST bus driver has been booked after a stray dog was allegedly run over by a bus at the Wadala Workshop bus stop, with the injured animal later dying while being taken for treatment.

According to police, the incident occurred around 8.40 pm on July 30 near Workshop Gate No. 4 on Tilak Road in Wadala.

The complaint was filed by Trupti Shashikant Kale, 38, a private-sector employee and animal welfare enthusiast. She told police that she was returning home on her two-wheeler when she noticed a white male stray dog trapped beneath the left rear wheel of a BEST bus. The animal had suffered a severe injury to its left leg and was bleeding heavily.

Kale, along with passers-by Jaydev Thorve and Harshad Ranjit Halder, pulled the dog from beneath the bus. They informed the driver, identified as Sachin Jangam, 44, that the bus had allegedly run over the animal and requested his help in taking it to a veterinary hospital.

According to the complaint, the driver said he required permission from the BEST control room before transporting the injured dog. Kale and the two men then contacted animal welfare organisations but were unable to secure immediate assistance.

The complainant alleged that despite repeated requests, no help was provided for nearly 45 minutes. The trio eventually transported the dog to an animal hospital on Dr S.S. Rao Road in Parel on Halder's two-wheeler, where doctors examined the animal and declared it dead.

Following the incident, Kale approached Matunga Police and lodged a complaint, alleging that the driver had driven negligently, causing the dog's death, and had failed to provide timely assistance.

Police have registered a case against the driver and are investigating the matter.