Bollywood star John Abraham allegedly banged his motorcycle into bystanders and injured two persons on Saturday night in suburban Khar.
Printed below is a letter that he wrote to the media.
To Bureau Chief,
On Saturday night, I went out for a ride on my bike. At Khar, two men riding double-seat on a bicycle suddenly veered from across the road towards me. I managed to swerve and avoid hitting them but I grazed the bicycle and we all fell. The bike and I landed in a heap on the pavement. I told the two men they should not be so careless, hailed a rickshaw and the three of us went to Bhabha Hospital. I told the doctor to treat them first. The doctor said they were fine and just had minor abrasions. He then attended to me.
Since the pain was unbearable, I later got admitted to Lilavati Hospital and am sending out this message from my hospital bed. I first want to thank the people who helped me up at the accident site and the people who have been trying to reach out to me through friends, family and email. I want to say I am recovering well, there was a clot in my left knee and there is soft tissue damage in the left foot.
I believe that most media has reported the accident but some sections of the media have insinuated that I was speeding, that my headlight wasn't on and that I was under influence. The fact of the matter is that I have hurt myself trying to save two people who were riding double-seat on a bicycle. They were on the wrong side of the road. I was riding safe like I always do and within speed limits. I was wearing a helmet (like I always do).
As a safety measure, my bike's headlamps are designed to come on and remain on once the engine is fired and till the engine is switched off. That's a standard feature on the bike in compliance with overseas laws. These lights cannot be turned off if the bike is in motion (as a result, the lights are on even if I am riding in broad daylight). As for being under the influence of alcohol, the blood tests are clean and that should put all speculation to rest.
No matter how carefully one drives, we all know that one cannot stop other people from making mistakes. The cyclists were clearly at fault, firstly in riding straight across the road and secondly in riding doubles. No matter how responsible one is, there will be some sections of the media that will sensationalise news without providing any supporting facts.
I am a law abiding citizen and will cooperate with the police in the matter. I will continue to ride safe. I just want to place the facts on record and thank everyone who has supported me for your continued love and kindness.
PRO
Rajendra Rao
S M Wasim
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