The tragic death of Jagruti Viraj Hogale, mother of an 8-year-old boy, and member of a women’s-onlybiker club, “The Bikerni”, coincides with the controversial outrage of BMC and Shiv Sena corporators against RJ Maliksha’s viral parody video on potholes.

The 34-year-old biker lost her life on Sunday to yet another pothole situation on the national highway near Mumbai. She was reportedly on her way Jawhar, popular for waterfalls,for a weekend getaway. 
The accident took place around 9 am at Palghar district, around 70 kms from Mumbai, when the biker tried to overtake a truck and was overthrown from her bike while trying to avoid a deep pothole. The same truck that she overtook ended up crushing her with its rear wheel. By the time her fellow-riders caught up with her, she was already dead.

Aditya Thackeray, Shiv Sena leader, gave a simple nonchalant statement regarding the same, "We are working on it. There will be action on potholes." However, a local witness from a village close to the accident spot stated that many complaints have been filed against the condition of the roads, but the civic bodies have taken no concrete actions in the past. The witness gave a statement to the police, saying, “We saw three bikers overtaking a truck. One of the bikers after hitting a pothole lost her balance and the truck ran over her. We have complained about the road condition to the PWD (Public Works Department) and village head in the past but there is no answer. After the incident, we have filled up the pothole because administration failed to react."

In a video promoting her women’s-only biker-club, she talks passionately about breaking stereotypes. She exuberates undying-love for freedom and strength by saying, “I feel independent when I am riding... I feel like I am flying..."

From being shunned away for raising a voice to being killed by BMC’s negligent attitude towards the worsening situation of potholes, Mumbai’s population seems to be facing innumerable hazards on the roads every day.

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