New Delhi, 3 June, 2014

Union Rural development minister Gopinath Munde passed away today morning in a car accident in Delhi. According to initial reports Munde was on way to Delhi airport in his car at around 6.20 to catch flight to Mumbai. The accident happened near Motibagh when Indica car hit Munde’s car. Police has arrested driver of Indica car who works in Imperial hotel.

BJP leaders Nitin Gadkari and Harshwardhan rushed to see Munde at AIIMS where he was given treatment in trauma center. Munde suffered a heart attack during treatment. Dr. Harshwardhan and other doctors tried their best to reactivate Munde’s heart, but they were unsuccessful.

Munde was to fly to Mumbai in flight today morning and from there to his constituency Beed in helicopter to attend his grand felicitation. His family and all main supporters were in Beed only.

As per AIIMS spokesperson:

Shri Munde was brought to AIIMS at 6.30 am by his personal assistant and driver. He was sitting on the back seat of car when another car hit his car from the side where he was sitting at around 6.20. He collapsed in his car. When he was brought to emergency department, there was no blood pressure, pulse, breathing or cardiac activity. CPR was started and continued for 50 minutes, but he could not be revived. He was declared dead at 7.20 am. The body has been shifted for postmortem. A board has been constituted for that. This is medico-legal case and a three member panel is on job. Mundeji is patient of hypertension and diabetes and he was taking drug. There’s no external injury on body. Clinically it’s a case of cardiac arrest.

Nitin Gadkari informed media persons:

-Munde was alone on the seat at backside.

-His security guard Nair was inside the car.

-When another car hit Munde’s car, Munde felled down inside the car.

-The accident occurred on road where Advani’s residence is situated.

-Munde asked for water from his security guard and consumed it.

-Munde asked his security officer to take him to hospital.

-Munde had no injury marks on body barring his minor injury mark around nose.

-He was diabetic.

-Heart attack he suffered during accident actually proved fatal. However exact reasons will be known after postmortem.

-Dr. Harshwardhan was first person in political circle to be informed about Munde’s accident. A doctor informed him about Munde’s accident.

-Munde passed away at around 8.00. The accident had happened at 6.30 am.

-Munde’s dead body will be taken to BJP national headquarters where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also arrive.

-Shri Munde’s dead body will be taken to Latur airport in a special aircraft, from where it will be taken to his native village.

-Shri Munde’s dead body will be cremated tomorrow.

Dr. Harshwardhan said:

Gopinath Munde suffered cervical fractures.

AIIMS says

GopinathMunde’s liver ruptured, had cardiac arrest due to shock.

Indica car that hit Gopinath Munde’s car

Gopinath Munde’s car

One who was driving Indica car that hit Munde’s SX-4

3rd day of month unlucky for Munde-Mahajan family

The third day of a month is reckoned inauspicious for the Munde-Mahajan clan as three of their family members and one close aide of the two leaders met tragic deaths in the past few years, according to Sarangi Mahajan, widow of Pravin Mahajan. It was on May 3, 2006 that Pramod Mahajan passed away in the Hinduja hospital, after prolonged attempts to revive him from the bullet injury failed. He was shot at by his elder brother Pravin. A month later, on June 3, 2006, Mahajan’s personal aide Vivek Moitra was found dead and Mahajan’s son Rahul was unconscious, apparently due to drug overdose. The third day proved fatal once again on March 3, 2010 when Pravin Mahajan passed away in the Jupiter hospital, Thane after failing to respond to weeks of treatment following brain haemorrhage. Union minister Gopinath Munde too died in a hospital in New Delhi on June 3 following a car accident.

Police sources tell news channels:

Police: We’ve questioned both drivers. Mr Munde’s driver jumped a red light while speeding. Indica driver attempted to brake.Impact from crash caused Mr Munde to strike his head on the front seat-back. It was the Indica driver who dialed ‘100’.

Cabinet passes resolution

The Union Cabinet today met to condole the tragic demise of Shri Gopinath Munde, the Minister for Rural Development, Drinking Water Sanitation and Panchayati Raj.

The Cabinet passed the following resolution:

The Cabinet has learnt with profound sorrow about the tragic and sudden demise of Shri Gopinath Munde, the Minister of Rural Development, Drinking Water Sanitation and Panchayati Raj in a road accident in New Delhi on the morning of 03.06.2014.

A grass root politician with a mass base and an ardent advocate of democracy, Shri Munde was born in a village in Beed, Maharashtra. He received his early education in Government and Zilla Parishad schools and started his political career as a member of the Akhil Bhartiya Vidhyarthi Parishad.

Shri Munde was a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for five terms and was also the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly during 1992-95. He became the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra in 1995. He was elected as a member of the Lok Sabha in 2009 and again in 2014. Shri Munde was inducted as a Cabinet Minister in the Union Council of Ministers on 26.05.2014.

The Cabinet places on record its appreciation of Shri Gopinath Munde’s services to the nation in different capacities both at the State and the National level. The Cabinet also expresses its deep sense of loss and grief on his tragic death. In his untimely demise, the nation has lost an experienced and visionary leader who was held in high esteem across the political spectrum. On behalf of the entire nation, the Cabinet extends its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.

Driver gets bail

Driver of Indica car Gurbachan Singh was released on bail today.

At BJP office:

At Delhi airport: