35-Year-Old Trailer Driver Murdered On Mumbai-Nashik Highway In Bhiwandi
A 35-year-old trailer driver was allegedly murdered with a sharp-edged weapon on the Mumbai-Nashik Highway in Bhiwandi early on Sunday morning after unidentified assailants attacked him near the Rajnoli flyover.
The victim has been identified as Pawan Kumar Mahto, a resident of Muzaffarpur, Bihar. Mahto was employed as a driver with a transport company based in Kalamboli and was transporting a consignment of steel reinforcement bars from Jalna to Mumbai in a trailer registered under MH-46-BU-2110.
According to police investigators, the incident took place at around 2.30am. After crossing the Rajnoli flyover, Mahto had stopped his vehicle by the roadside to eat when unidentified men approached him. Investigators suspect the attackers attempted to rob the driver or steal the steel consignment loaded onto the trailer. When Mahto resisted the robbery attempt, the assailants allegedly attacked him with a sharp weapon, causing multiple injuries, before fleeing the area.
Bloodstains were discovered inside the trailer cabin and on the road. Officers from the Kongaon police station rushed Mahto to a private hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries during medical treatment. His body was subsequently moved to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Prashant Bhosale, a manager at the transport company, stated that the company owner alerted them about the assault. Bhosale noted that the team was informed the driver had been admitted to a hospital following the attack, but Mahto had already passed away before company representatives could reach the facility.
Crime Police Inspector Santosh Burade of the Kongaon Police Station confirmed that a murder case has been registered. Investigating teams are currently examining evidence gathered from the crime scene as efforts continue to identify and apprehend the attackers. Police sources indicated that a gang known for targeting and stealing steel bars from heavy vehicles is believed to be active along the highway corridor.
