Marathi child actor survives Mumbai Bhandup bus crash as mother dies saving her life

Marathi child actor survives Mumbai Bhandup bus crash as mother dies saving her life

• Electric bus accident in Bhandup kills four, including Pranita Rasam.
• Pranita Rasam saved her daughter by pushing her away before being fatally struck
• Bus driver arrested for negligence; investigation and checks ongoing

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A routine ride home from an audition turned into a life-shattering tragedy for a 13-year-old Marathi child actor in Bhandup, Mumbai, after her mother died in a horrific bus accident that she witnessed from just a few feet away.

According to police, Pranita Sandip Rasam, 35, and her daughter were returning from Dadar on Monday night after the girl had given an audition. The family lives near Sai Bihar in Bhandup (West), and like countless other working-class commuters, mother and daughter got down near Bhandup railway station and waited at the busy bus stop to head home.

Moments later, chaos erupted.

An electric AC bus on BEST route 606 suddenly lurched forward, jumped the queue and ploughed into passengers waiting at the stop. In that split second, Pranita is believed to have sensed that the bus was out of control. She reportedly shoved her daughter away with all her strength. The teenager fell aside and survived with minor injuries. Her mother was crushed under the wheels.

In the confusion that followed, the stunned girl borrowed a stranger’s phone and called her father, Sandeep. Panicking, she told him that her mother had been with her a moment ago but had vanished in the commotion, and that there had been a major accident. By the time he reached the spot, Pranita had succumbed to her injuries.

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Witnesses say that when the girl realised her mother had died saving her, she broke down inconsolably, crying like a small child despite being one of the most composed people on set during shoots. She was rushed to a private hospital for treatment and counselling.

The teenager is known in Marathi television circles for playing small but memorable roles in serials. Neighbours describe her as a bright, ambitious child who seized every chance to act, often juggling school, homework and shoots. Pranita was the driving force behind her daughter's dreams, escorting her to auditions and sets, and managing the home in between.

Pranita's daughter plays small supporting character's roles in Marathi TV serials.

On Monday night too, she had left home after asking her husband to fill water and wait for dinner, promising to return soon after the audition. Instead, he brought her body back.

The accident claimed four lives in total – Pranita Sandip Rasam, Mansi Meghshyam Gurav, 49, Varsha Sawant, 25, and Prashant Dattu Shinde, 45. Eleven others were injured and were shifted to hospitals in Ghatkopar, Mulund and Bhandup for emergency treatment.

The driver of the electric bus, Santosh Ramesh Sawant, 52, has been arrested. During interrogation, he reportedly claimed that when he got into the driver’s seat, the bus was already switched on and moved forward the moment he released the handbrake, leaving him unable to control it. Police, however, have booked him for negligent driving, pointing out that the area outside Bhandup station is always packed with pedestrians and commuters.

The bus has been seized for technical inspection, and CCTV footage from the vicinity is being examined. Statements of eyewitnesses, the conductor and the driver who had earlier parked the bus are also being recorded to establish the exact chain of events.