Pune: A devastating accident on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway early Friday morning resulted in the deaths of a well-known cyber security specialist and his driver. The collision occurred near Shirgaon when their vehicle struck a stationary container truck that had been improperly parked.
The victims were identified as 46-year-old Sachin Mahendra Dedhia, a respected cyber security and digital forensics professional from Borivali, Mumbai, and his 57-year-old driver Parmeshwar Shivling Vhandrav, a native of Dharashiv. Dedhia was on his way to Pune to conduct a session on Artificial Intelligence for a group of chartered accountants scheduled for the following day.
According to police at the Shirgaon outpost, the tragic crash happened around 8:30 AM. Preliminary reports suggest that the container truck was left at the roadside without any hazard signs or safety measures, contributing to the deadly impact. The severity of the crash left both occupants of the car dead at the scene.
Following the incident, Ritesh Lakshmichand Mamaniya (41), a relative of Dedhia, registered an FIR at the Shirgaon police station, which falls under the Pimpri Chinchwad police jurisdiction.
The container truck driver, Pravinkumar Pandya (39), a resident of Rajasthan, has been taken into custody for alleged negligence. Authorities have charged him under Sections 106(1) and 324(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, as well as applicable clauses of the Motor Vehicles Act.
Investigating Officer PSI Ashok Kendre confirmed that the truck’s illegal and unmarked parking played a critical role in causing the accident.
Sachin Dedhia, originally from Gujarat’s Kachchh region, had made Mumbai his home. A certified ethical hacker, he was highly regarded in the tech and cyber security communities for his expertise and educational contributions.
