Drunk woman kills two in Mumbai road accident (Second Lead)

MUMBAI - A 27-year-old woman, drunk and speeding at over 150 km an hour in her SUV, rammed the car into a police jeep and two other vehicles past midnight, killing two people and severely injuring four policemen, police said Saturday.

The accident occurred just before 1 a.m. when the woman - identified by police as Nooriya Yusuf Haveliwala - was speeding along the city’s famous promenade, Marine Drive.

She apparently lost control of her Honda CRV and rammed it into a stationary traffic police Qualis jeep, and two other vehicles - a motorcycle and a taxi.

Her medical examination subsequently revealed that the alcohol level in her blood was nine times higher than the permissible limit, and preliminary investigation revealed that she was drinking while driving.

She has been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other charges - and remanded to police custody till Feb 5 by a Mumbai court, Joint Police Commissioner (Law & Order) Himanshu Roy said this evening.

“She will get punishment possible,” Roy said.

Cans of beer and snacks were found on the back seat of her SUV which was badly smashed.

Nooriya, wearing a black party dress, escaped without any injuries and was escorted by policewomen to a waiting vehicle, even as she tried to cover her face with her handbag to avoid photographers.

Nooriya, who lives in the affluent Colaba area of south Mumbai, was reportedly zooming at over 150 kmph along the Marine Drive towards the Malabar Hill side.

Police are investigating whether the woman had consumed any drugs laced with alcohol. She was apparently returning from a party.

“It is a very tragic accident claiming two innocent lives so far. We have applied the charges pertaining to culpable homicide not amounting to murder. We shall ensure the strictest punishment for the accused,” Roy asserted.

Five policemen - who were ironically conducting a drive against drunken driving - were injured in the accident and are undergoing treatment at the Bombay Hospital and Gokuldas Tejpal Hospital.

The killed included police sub-inspector Dinanath Shinde. The dead motorcyclist was identified as Ali Akbar Mukhmojiya (35). He was rushed to the Saifee Hospital by police but was pronounced dead on admission.

Besides the dead sub-inspector - the condition of at least two of the other injured is critical and they are under observation in the intensive care unit, police said.

The injured policemen are: Lala Shinde, Shailendra Jadhav, Ashok Shinde, and Arjun Gaekwad. While Lala and Ashok were discharged after treatment at the Bombay Hospital, Jadhav and Gaekwad have sustained multiple fractures and other serious injuries.

Home Minister R.R. Patil and Police Commissioner D. Shivanandhan visited the injured policemen at the Bombay Hospital. However, they did not speak to mediapersons.