Second victim in Keshav Puram hit-and-run dies

Sumi Khari, who got stuck between the bonnet and the windshield of the car, died at the AIIMS Trauma Centre. Five students of different private colleges were inside the car when it hit the scooter

A second man who was injured during the hit-and-run accident reported from north-west Delhi’s Keshav Puram area early on Friday succumbed to his injuries at a city hospital on Saturday, police officers aware of the case said. One person had died in the accident on the spot.

The vehicles involved in the accident. (Raj K Raj/HT Photo)

Kailash Bhatnagar (41) and Sumit Khari (21) were returning to their homes on a scooter after watching a movie around 2.57am. A Tata Zest car hit their scooter in the Prerna Chowk area of Kanhaiya Nagar in Keshav Puram. Both of them were flung in the air with Bhatnagar landing on the roof of the car, before falling to the ground. Khari got stuck between the bonnet and the windshield of the car. The bonnet had opened because of the impact of the accident. The scooter also got stuck under the car’s bumper.

Instead of stopping the vehicle, the driver accelerated it towards Inderlok and drove for at least 350 metres before two police patrol vans that witnessed the accident, intercepted the car and brought it to a halt. While Bhatnagar died on the spot, Khari was admitted to a hospital. He was driving the scooter at the time of the accident, investigators said.

Police said Khari was first admitted to Deep Chand Bandhu hospital, but was later referred to at least two different hospitals for advanced treatment of his head and chest injuries. He died at the AIIMS Trauma Centre on Saturday morning, investigators said.

Police said five students of different private colleges were inside the car when it hit the scooter. Two, including the driver, Praveen alias Silli(20), and Diviansh Puri (20) were arrested immediately. Three others Om Bhardwaj(19), Harsh Mudgal (19) and Devansh (19) were arrested hours later. The five were returning from a wedding and were allegedly drunk at the time of the accident, police said. The Tata Zest car is registered under the name of Bhardwaj’s father.

A city court on Saturday sent the five accused to 14-days judicial custody.

Also on Saturday afternoon, Delhi police commissioner Sanjay Arora handed cash rewards of ₹10000 and 5000 to the six police personnel, posted in two different police control vehicles. While one police team chased the five men and forced them to halt – two were also arrested from the spot, the second police team had rushed the two injured to the hospital.

A Delhi police spokesperson said that the police chief lauded the efforts of the police men, which would motivate other police personnel across the city to react swiftly in similar situations.