After the party at around 1 am, the merchant navy sailor offered to drop girlfriend Bakhtavar Ilaviya (29), a teacher at a school in Juhu, at her Napean Sea Road home on his Bullet. But near Kherwadi Junction, a tempo knocked down the bike, killing Joseph and seriously injuring Bakhtavar.

The tempo driver abandoned the vehicle and fled—he was later arrested from an eating joint-but a constable patrolling the area heard the noise and came to investigate, according to the police. He immediately summoned mobile patrol and D’Souza was rushed to V N Desai Hospital in Santacruz and Ilaviya was taken to Bhabha Hospital in Bandra. While Joseph was declared brought dead, Ilaviya’s relatives later took her to Breach Candy Hospital where she is in the ICU.

At the Breach Candy Hospital, her brother Boman said, “She is in the ICU. Some of her ribs are broken and she has suffered internal injuries near the heart. But she is conscious and keeps asking about Joseph. We have not told her yet that he is no more as the doctor has advised us not to do so as it might lead to a shock and aggravate her situation. We are just waiting and hoping for her recovery. It is a very sad situation as Joseph and Bakhtavar were seeing each other for some time and had also planned to get married soon.”