Delhi: Car hits scooter, drags rider's body for 350m
In yet another horrifying hit-and-drag incident in Delhi, a man died after a car rammed into his scooter and dragged his body stuck on its bonnet for nearly 350m in Keshav Puram on Friday. The pillion rider reportedly landed on the car's roof after being thrown into the air; he later succumbed to his injuries, too. The Delhi Police arrested five individuals so far.
Accused were in an intoxicated state
The incident took place when five students, aged between 19 to 21, were returning from a wedding in an intoxicated state and speeding away in a Tata Zest car. At around 3:00 am on Friday, the car crashed into a Honda Activa scooter at Kanhaiya Nagar's Prerna Chowk. The two victims on the scooter have been identified as Sumit Khari and Kailash Bhatnagar.
Both victims identified by cops
Bhatnagar, who was reportedly driving the scooter, was thrown off the two-wheeler after being hit by the car and got stuck between its windshield and bonnet. Khari fell on the car's roof before sliding down the vehicle, while the scooter got stuck in the car's bumper. The accused tried to flee the scene and dragged Bhatnagar's body for 350 meters along with them.
Accused students tried to escape the cops
Two on-duty PCR vans of the Keshav Puram Police Station reportedly saw the car dragging Bhatnagar and successfully intercepted the offending vehicle, reported ANI. Two accused, Praveen alias Silli and Divyansh, reportedly stepped out of the vehicle and tried to flee the spot but were arrested. Three other accused, who were in the car, managed to escape but were later held during the probe.
CCTV footage of the incident
Scooter rider declared dead upon arrival by hospital
While Bhatnagar was declared dead upon arrival by Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital, Khari succumbed to injuries during treatment, reported India Today. Initial medical tests confirmed that all five accused were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the road accident.
Case registered against all five accused
The police have filed a case under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 34 (common intention), 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), and 304A (causing death by negligence) against the accused. They were also booked under the Motor Vehicles Act's Sections 39 and 192 and Delhi Motor Vehicle Rules' Sections 50 and 177.
Similarities to Anjali Singh's accident case
The latest hit-and-drag incident has eerie similarities to the death of Anjali Singh, who died after a vehicle rammed into her scooter while she was returning from an event on January 1. Singh's body got stuck under the car's left axle and was dragged for around 13km. The cops have arrested seven people so far in the incident, and a probe is still ongoing.
