Driver caught in Ambernath dad-son fight struggles with

THANE: Yogesh Gaikwad, 43, a freelance driver, is compelled to remain housebound, and therefore forego any opportunity to work, after he suffered serious physical wounds last month when he tried to dissipate a fight between his employer and father on Ulhasnagar-Badlapur Road.
Yogesh is the sole breadwinner of his family (his father, wife and two young children), that lives in a small flat in Badlapur. He also supports his brother’s family of four. Before the freak accident, he earned between ₹25,000 to ₹28,000 each month.
Today, apart from the anxiety of finding options to make ends meet, a debt of ₹5 lakh weighs him down. The sum was loaned from members of the extended family to pay the hospital bills.
Bed-ridden, Yogesh is recuperating from injuries on his legs, a crushed collarbone that has three plates surgically implanted and fractured fingers on his left hand. After the accident on August 20, he spent 13 days in two hospitals before he was discharged.
So how did things come to such a pass?
Encouraged by a friend, 10 days before the incident, he started working for a Badlapur-based contractor Satish Sharma for ₹1000 a day. On August 19, he drove Satish’s father, Brindeshwar Sharma, an ex-Navy man, his mother, wife and four-year-old son from their Colaba residence to Badlapur. Satish’s wife lives with her in-laws, along with her son, as there is a simmering dispute between her and Satish.
On August 20, before Brindeshwar was about to set out for Colaba with his wife, daughter-in-law and grandson, a verbal duel had ensued between him and Satish over the custody of the child. Before they could leave, Satish grabbed his son and asked Yogesh to drive them in his black Tata Safari. As they reached Belavali, on Ulhasnagar-Badlapur Road, Yogesh noticed his father’s white Toyota Fortuner following them. The car was being driven by Satish’s cousin, Vikas, who had arrived at the house with the car earlier.
Satish instructed Yogesh to keep driving, but a little way ahead Vikas managed to overtake Satish’s car and stopped the SUV in front of it. Yogesh remembered an angry Brindeshwar emerging from the Fortuner, walking up to the Safari and assaulting Satish. “I was taken aback by the sudden attack on Satish, got out and tried to stop the fight. I advised the father-son duo to resolve their problems at home,” Yogesh said, adding that Satish reacted by fighting with his cousin who had emerged from the car to resolve the quarrel.
“In the midst of the fracas, Satish snatched the car keys from me, took over the wheels and sped off with his son, in the process hurting his cousin. He dragged me along with the car for over 50 feet. An auto driver came to my rescue when Satish stopped the car briefly. I was taken aside, while Satish took a U-turn at a distance and drove straight to crash into his father’s stationary vehicle head-on, injuring two more innocent bikers,” said Yogesh. The auto driver who came to his rescue took him to Juber Hospital nearby. He was later shifted to Maxlife Hospital where he had many surgeries.
“I was deeply wounded but my only prayer at the time was that I stay alive for my children,” he said. “I want to fight for justice, as the incident has impacted my life adversely and my innocent family is now struggling to meet both ends.”
“I have led a simple life all these years. I would leave for work in the morning and spend about 14 hours driving to earn around ₹1,000 a day. I took one day off each week when my children needed me and would take them for a ride near the river for fun,” said Yogesh.
When Yogesh’s family reached out to Brindeshwar Sharma for monetary support to pay the hospital bills, he allegedly refused to pay him, saying he was not responsible for the incident. Part of his salary is also pending with Satish.
After the incident, Satish was arrested by Ambernath police under Sections 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 281 (whoever drives any vehicle, or rides on any public way in a manner so rash or negligent as to endanger human life), 115(2) (anyone who voluntarily causes harm to another person) of BNS and 184 of Motor Vehicle act. A senior police officer for Ambernath police station said: “Satish is in judicial custody and has applied for bail.”
Yogesh’s father Ramakant said: “My son is immobile right now and the doctor has advised at least four months’ bed rest. The full recovery is likely to take a year. His capacity to earn was dependent on his hands and legs – all severely injured. We sought help from every family member, relative, and friend to cover the hospital bills, as we were helpless. How do we pay them back?”