Chhattisgarh: Congress leader’s son runs car over people; boy killed, 11 injured

Two accused, including the politician’s son, were arrested on Tuesday from an adjoining jungle in the district while two others are absconding

In a fit of rage following a dispute with local villagers, a Congress leader’s son in Chhattisgarh’s Gariaband district ran his car over a crowd, killing a four-year-old boy and injuring 11 people, police said on Wednesday.

Representational Image. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Two accused, including the politician’s son, were arrested on Tuesday from an adjoining jungle in the district while two others are absconding.

The incident took place at around 11.30 pm on Monday at Malgaon when villagers were celebrating Dussehra.

Gariaband additional superintendent of police (ASP) Sukhnand Rathore said that Romit Rathore, son of ex-mayor and the president of women district Congress Mamta Rathore, had an altercation with some of the villagers over their celebration. “A child had accidentally thrown something on Romit’s car’s dashboard, which infuriated him and his three friends. The accused first threatened the villagers and seemed to have driven away. But he reversed the car and drove over the crowd. A minor, who had come under the car’s wheels, died in a local hospital and 11 others were injured,” said the ASP.

The ASP said the accused had fled to an adjoining jungle after the incident. “The villagers identified Romit as the main accused and informed the police. Romit and one of his friends, Saurabh Kutare, were arrested on Tuesday. They were hiding in the jungle. The other two accused are still absconding,” said the ASP.

Romit and Kutare have been booked under sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

“We have identified the other two accused after recording Romit’s statement. Raids are in progress and efforts are on to nab them at the earliest,” the ASP added.

Congress leader Mamta Rathore was unavailable for her comment, despite repeated attempts by HT.