14 October,2026 07:50 AM IST | Mumbai | Aishwarya Iyer
Vikram Shantaram Bhalekar
The CCTV camera that captured the final moments of Vikram Shantaram Bhalekar's life was one he had installed himself just days earlier. The 36-year-old BMC contractual worker was taking a break during his night shift in Ghatkopar East when a speeding four-wheeler ran him over, dragged him for 10-15 feet and fled.
Bhalekar, who maintained batteries and other equipment on BMC clean-up vehicles, was killed on October 10 on the Eastern Express Highway service road, near Adani Tower and opposite Suvidha. Despite the footage capturing the fatal crash, police have yet to identify the vehicle or its driver.
The post-mortem examination revealed that Bhalekar's skull had been completely crushed. The left side of his body had suffered extensive injuries, with tyre marks visible on his body.
Bhalekar's brothers, Jitendra and Yogesh, described him as a humble and helpful man who worked multiple jobs to support his wife and six-year-old daughter. "Apart from his work with BMC clean-up vehicles, he had worked as an electrician, a Wi-Fi operator and a Ganpati idol decorator. He often worked morning, evening and night shifts, leaving himself little time to rest," said Yogesh, his eldest brother. "He worked hard because he had a family to look after," said Jitendra, his elder brother. Vikram was the youngest of three brothers. According to the family, Bhalekar was sitting on a divider during a break when the speeding vehicle struck him. The fact that he was sitting away from the main carriageway and was still fatally hit has added to the family's anguish. "Either the driver was drunk or must have dozed off. Otherwise, how could someone crash into the divider itself? This road has witnessed several accidents, yet there are no reflectors or safety measures. This negligence has killed my brother," Jitendra said. The family learnt about accident from a worker who found Bhalekar lying in a pool of blood at the scene.
Family seeks justice and compensation
For Bhalekar's family, the investigation is about more than identifying a vehicle. His brothers want accountability for the death of a man who worked multiple jobs to secure his young daughter's future. "The six-year-old girl and her mother are now left without their sole support. We want justice for Vikram and compensation for his family," Jitendra said. A day before his death, Bhalekar had helped decorate his local Devi pandal and prepare for the idol's sthapna, his brothers said. He enjoyed decorating Ganpati and Devi idols, carefully embellishing them with decorative stones and rhinestones.
Police sources said no functioning CCTV camera had captured the suspect vehicle's number plate, and there were no eyewitnesses to identify the vehicle or its driver. The camera installed by Bhalekar himself, however, captured the fatal incident.
Pant Nagar police have registered an FIR against an unidentified accused under Sections 106(1) and 281 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Sections 134(A), 134(B) and 184 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Police have formed special teams to investigate the case and trace the vehicle and its driver. Senior Inspector Lata Sutar of Pant Nagar police station told mid-day that four special teams had been formed to investigate the incident on priority. "Our teams have been examining all possible angles, day and night, through the available CCTV footage. The footage is so unclear that we have not even been able to identify the make of the vehicle. However, we are actively investigating the case and will soon identify the vehicle and the suspect," she said.
