Malad crash: Woman dies, 6 injured after real estate developer rams car into bike, 3 autos

Krishna Chamankar, a prominent real estate developer who was once named in the Maharashtra Sadan money laundering scam involving Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal, was arrested on Monday after his MG Windsor allegedly rammed into a motorcycle and three autorickshaws at a traffic signal in Malad, killing a 34-year-old woman and injuring six others.

Chamankar, a partner in K S Chamankar Enterprises, was arrested allegedly for driving rashly, negligently and dangerously. He was produced before a court on Monday and remanded in judicial custody. In 2016, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had registered a money-laundering case against Krishna Chamankar.

The Bombay High Court, however, quashed the ED case in 2025. According to the police, Chamankar told investigators that when he reached the SV Road junction in Malad (West), he believed his car was in neutral and moving slowly.

He said he attempted to apply the brake but allegedly pressed the accelerator instead. A medical examination at a government hospital found no alcohol in Chamankar’s blood sample, police said. The accident occurred around 8-8.30 pm when Priyanka Satra and her husband, Mayank Satra, were returning home after buying vegetables.

They were waiting at the traffic signal on their motorcycle when Chamankar’s car allegedly hit them from behind. Priyanka, a law graduate and mother of two, was thrown off the motorcycle and suffered serious head injuries.

She was rushed to hospital but died during treatment. Mayank suffered fractures and back injuries and was admitted to hospital. After hitting the motorcycle, Chamankar’s car allegedly crashed into three autorickshaws. Their drivers – Subhedar Chandra Gautam (50), Ramkesh Rajbhar (35) and Abdul Rehman Shaikh (25) – were injured.

Two passengers also reported injuries, police said. A police team has been sent to the hospital to verify the passengers’ claims and record their statements. Priyanka’s relatives gathered at Malad police station late on Sunday night and demanded strict action against Chamankar.