A hit-and-run accident on the Morshi road near Maywadi Phata in Maharashtra’s Amravati district killed a farm caretaker couple travelling home on a motorcycle on Friday night, police said. The unidentified vehicle that struck the motorcycle from behind is being traced through CCTV footage from establishments along the route.
The deceased were identified as Somlal Uike, 55, and his wife Chaturbati Uike, 48, residents of Gazadhaba village in Multai tehsil of Madhya Pradesh’s Betul district. The couple had been working as caretakers at an agricultural field in Dapori village under Morshi taluka.
According to police, the couple had travelled to Morshi for work and were returning to Dapori when the collision took place at around 8.30pm near Maywadi Phata. The vehicle involved was reported to have been speeding and struck their motorcycle from behind.
Chaturbati died at the spot after being run over, while Somlal suffered critical injuries. He died while being taken to the Sub-District Hospital in Morshi, police said. The incident left both victims dead before they could receive hospital treatment.
A team from Morshi police station reached the site under the guidance of police inspector Rahul Athawale. Police sub-inspector Deepak Uike and constable Balu Chavan conducted the spot panchnama, after which the bodies were shifted to the mortuary at the Sub-District Hospital in Morshi.
Medical officials conducted the post-mortem on Saturday, and the bodies were handed over to the couple’s relatives. The deaths have also highlighted the risks faced by workers living and travelling between agricultural settlements and nearby town centres, where road users may depend on two-wheelers for routine journeys.
Morshi police have registered a case against the unidentified driver for rash and negligent driving and causing death by negligence. Police Inspector Athawale said investigators were scanning CCTV footage from establishments along the Morshi route to identify the offending vehicle and driver.
