The singer was operated upon at 1 am on Thursday for multiple factures
MUMBAI: Muhammad Ovez Sabri, popularly known as Toshi Sabri, was critically injured while his band member, rhythm player Akbar Atique, was killed in an accident and another band member received spinal injuries when a truck rammed head-on into the car they were travelling in from Shirdi to Mumbai on the Nashik-Pune highway.
While the driver escaped unhurt, Atique, his co-passenger in the front seat, was killed in the accident. Toshi was critically injured, with fractures to his legs and a hip-bone joint, and internal bleeding till midnight of Wednesday.
Doctors operated upon him at 1 am, on Thursday for two hours.
Toshi's friend, Rajesh Banga, who received a distress call in Mumbai from Toshi's brother Sharib at 8 am on Wednesday morning and rushed to Nashik to get him admitted to Wockhardt Hospital, told RadioAndMusic.com, "If all goes well, as we are praying it should, then Toshi will stay in Nasik to recover for a week or so, after whcih he will come to Mumbai and probably be hospitalised for some more time. Doctors will tell us more by around 11 am today (Thursday)."
Both, Toshi and Atique, are from Rajasthan. Banga said, "It is really tragic that Atique, who wsa only 32 years old, was killed. He leaves behind a wife and three young children. What is also heartbreaking is that so far, in spite of several attempts, we have not been able to contact Atique's family -- his body is going home today, and the family doesn't know about it. We are still trying to contact them. We could inform Toshi's family and they are travelling to Nashik by train."
Sharing details about the accident, Banga said, "Toshi and three other band members were returning to Mumabi in a car along with a driver after a private show at Shirdi at around 2 am on Wednesday . Toshi wanted to reach Mumbai well in time for a meeting scheduled with Mr Mahesh Bhatt for 1 pm on Wednesday, for his upcoming movie, Murder-2. But at 3 am the accident happened."
Banga said, "Mr Bhatt has been in constant touch with Sharib, and has assured them that he is there to help and support them in every way. His concern and care has been very reassuring to Toshi and his family," Banga said.
Although the accident happened at 3 am on Wednesday, Toshi was operated upon only at 1 am on Thursday. Banga said, "It took so long because they were first in a government hospital, and were advised by Toshi's physician Dr Abbasi -- who had monitored Toshi' recovery "from the life-threatening attack he had faced four years ago" -- to shift to Wockhardt Hospital."
(With inputs from B B Nagpal)