Untimely end

Tragedy hit the Dadar Athornan Institute (DAI) immediately after its annual day as 22-year-old Ervad Kayvan Meher Dastur was killed while riding a motorcycle on New Bombay’s accident prone Palm Beach Road in the early hours of Sunday, December 16, 2012. His friend Cherag Soli Desai, 20, riding pillion, was seriously injured in the reportedly hit and run incident. Hailing from Surat, Dastur was a boarder at the Institute, studying for his MCom degree, principal Ervad (Dr) Ramiyar Karanjia informed Parsiana over the telephone. Kayvan and his twin brother Kurush had been students of DAI since a very young age and are among the outstation students permitted to reside there so that they can pursue further education in Bombay. Kurush was at prayer on that fateful night. The injured Desai is a commerce student of Viva College in Virar, mentions The Times of India (TOI) which reported the matter on December 17.
Karanjia explained that after the evening’s celebration some of the ex-students went out for dinner, after which they congregated at a friend’s house in Bandra. Since many of them had motorbikes, they decided to enjoy a ride on a smooth road. The CBD (Central Business District) Belapur police informed TOI that at 4.10 a.m. when the two youths were riding from Vashi to Belapur, "a vehicle crashed into the motorcycle and then sped away under the cover of darkness. We have registered a case of rash and negligent driving against the unknown driver.” Dastur, who suffered multiple fractures, including of the skull, was killed on the spot, while Desai received injuries on his face, hands, upper torso and had internal bleeding. He was admitted to the ICU of MGM Hospital in Belapur, mentions TOI.
Desai’s father informed TOI: "I was away in Nasik on Saturday. My son had only told the other family members in Virar that he is going to Dadar Parsi Colony for a program. So we really don’t know how they came to New Bombay after that program.” Karanjia revealed that Desai too sustained severe injuries and is still in the hospital at Belapur on a ventilator, and when his condition stabilizes, there are plans to move him to Bombay Hospital.
The "killer stretch” of Palm Beach Road has the macabre record of having claimed at least 50 lives in over 300 accidents during the past four years, with 10 persons having died in 50 accidents in 2012 alone, notes the TOI.