A 42-year-old businessman from Kalyan in Maharashtra died after a car allegedly driven by an underage driver, a 17-year-old boy, slammed into his bicycle on an under-construction stretch of road near the Ulhas river. Tandle had taken up cycling recently and even his Facebook profile picture featured it. (Photo: FB/@svtandle)

The accident on Tuesday evening was captured on CCTV camera, and now the boy, possibly along with his family, is now facing police action for the incident that has raised major questions about enforcement of traffic laws and the lack of cycling infrastructure in the rapidly growing Kalyan-Dombivli region.

Who was Shrinivas Tandle? Shrinivas Tandle lived in the Khadakpada neighbourhood of Kalyan in Thane district, about 50 km from Mumbai, and was a well-known figure in the local business community. He was associated with one of Kalyan's oldest cloth stores, and reportedly owned other such stores too.

His family told HT that he had purchased the bicycle just the day before the accident — on Monday — and Tuesday's ride was probably his first as part of his new exercise routine to lose some weight.

What happened? The accident took place on a stretch of the under-construction Kalyan Ring Road, a 30-kilometre project being built by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to ease traffic congestion across Kalyan, Dombivli, and Titwala.

This stretch runs parallel to the Ulhas river, and was all but completed a couple of years ago; but had never been officially opened to traffic. According to HT, the stretch was barricaded to prevent vehicles from entering, but it was not clear who removed those barriers and allowed the road to become accessible.

Locals told HT that the stretch had become notorious for stunt bikers and motorists driving recklessly.

Shrinivas Tandle was cycling on this road when a car, allegedly speeding, rammed into him. The force of the impact was severe. Police told HT that Tandle was flung several metres into the air and died on the spot.

Tandle's brother Ganesh said, "My brother had gained weight recently and wanted to add cycling to his exercise routine in the evening. So he purchased a cycle on Monday and went cycling on Tuesday, when he was hit." He demanded strict action against the driver.

Who is the accused? The driver of the car is a 17-year-old boy, confirmed by police as a juvenile hence not to be named. Deputy commissioner of police (zone 3) Atul Zende said the car has been traced and the driver identified.

There are reports that his mother, the registered owner of the car, may also be made an accused. While it was not known what his mother’s profession is, his father is reported to be a lawyer.

No arrest has been reported as of the filing of this report.

What are the family and locals saying? Former corporator Rakesh Mutha, a close friend of the deceased, raised a pointed question: who removed the barricades that were supposed to keep vehicles off the unfinished road? He demanded an investigation into the role of civic officials, adding that the city's lack of open public spaces like parks and gardens forces residents onto unsafe vacant stretches.

Dr Sunil Puntambekar, president of the Dombivli Cycling Club, said the incident reflected a growing danger for cyclists across the region. "This region was once largely rural with greenery and minimal vehicular movement," he said.

"Over the past five years, it has witnessed rapid urbanisation and population growth, leading to a sharp increase in traffic without corresponding infrastructure upgrades." He advised cyclists to avoid riding during peak and evening hours.