Nagpur: Noted Marathi classical singer Gayatri Kanitkar (40) met a tragic end in a road accident on Nagpur-Hyderabad Highway (NH-7) at Dongargaon, around 20km from here, in the early hours of Wednesday. She was travelling with her husband Makrand (45), who was behind the wheels, escaped with minor injuries.
Gayatri, an Alankar awardee by Gandharv Sangeet Mahavidyalaya who owned a music school of 250 students, was killed on the spot after sustaining multiple skull fractures as their sedan rammed a stationary trailer from behind between 3am and 3.15am. It is learnt that Gayatri’s motionless body was stuck in the mangled vehicle which had to be pulled out after much efforts.
A mother of two, Gayatri had submitted her final thesis of PhD.
Apart from classical-based vocal, Gayatri was also an expert in Kathak. The couple, married in 1999, was tied in a unique musical bond besides their conjugal life. Her husband Makrand was a table player.
The couple had organized ‘guru purnima’ on a grand scale at their residence-based music school, where students performed in the presence of their parents and others. “Even my daughters were being trained under Gayatri,” said Indranil, her brother.
Their son Dipankur is a Std XII student while daughter Vrinda is studying in Std VI. The children too had started walking the musical path as both were being trained under their parents.
The couple, residents of Swavalambi Nagar, was returning from Nanded where Gayatri had gone to conduct an examination. The couple had reportedly twice planned to halt on the way to Nagpur but abandoned the plan as no accommodation was available.
Police said the truck, owned by Thakur transports, was parked around a little more than half a kilometer ahead of the defunct toll. The left side of the car dashed against the rear portion of the truck that did not have any tail or parking light, radium reflectors or any other precautionary signs.
The driver of the truck, Mahesh Kumar Thakur, fled from the spot after the incident without informing anyone. The vehicle was supposed to offload its consignments at MIDC in Hingna.
Makrand immediately alerted a family friend after the incident, who informed the police. Officials of the Hingna police, including senior PI Hemant Ramteke, rushed to the spot before shifting Gayatri’s body to the Government Medical College and Hospital. Makrand was also sent for medical assistance.
An offence against the truck driver has been already registered at the Hingna police station. Police said Makrand might have suffered drowsiness which induced the mistake in fraction of a second as the car was in top speed.
Another theory being floated claims that abrupt entry of a vehicle from service road in the left may have compelled Makrand to take the car towards the parked truck. The cops, however, are waiting for Makrand to recover from the shock before further probing the matter.
