Mumbai: Father of minor who crashed into biker regrets handing him bike key

Nesbit bridge, where the accident took place early Thursday morning

The father of the 15-year-old motorcyclist who killed a biker in Mazgaon on Thursday morning has told the JJ Marg police that the teen would use his bike only in their locality to pick up groceries. "I never allowed him to take the bike outside the area on joyrides. I was wrong to give him the bike keys" the father told the police.

Irfan Shaikh, the victim

The teen was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board on Friday and remanded in juvenile custody for seven days. His father was produced in the court and sent to police custody for questioning. The deceased, Irfan Nawab Ali Shaikh, 32, was a resident of the Empire Gold Society in Mazgaon. A relative of Shaikh's told mid-day, "We want to send this message out: do not let your minor child drive. It can prove fatal for both the minor and others."

According to the JJ Marg police, neither the minor nor the victim was inebriated. The cops also suspect that the shape of the road was a reason for the accident. According to the police, the father said his son was a good student and didn't have bad habits. He claimed he was asleep when the boy took his bike keys without informing him. The father claimed he received a call from the cops informing him about the accident on Nesbit bridge around 7.30 am. He also stated that his son went to buy fresh bread from a Mazgaon-based bakery.

Empire Gold Society in Mazgaon where the deceased used to live

The minor studies at a madrasa located on his society's premises. A staffer there said, "The boy is a good student and behaves well. We never had any complaints about him. The incident is unfortunate." A police officer said, "Nesbit bridge zig-zags and many such accidents take place on it. We are checking whether this was the reason for the mishap."

32
Age of victim