W Delhi hit-and-run: Driver who caused death of two held; has no licence, say cops

A 20-year-old man was arrested for a hit-and-run in Delhi that killed two pedestrians. He lacked a driving license and fled the scene.

NEW DELHI

The vehicle owner was also booked for lending his car to an unlicensed driver. (HT)

A day after two pedestrians were killed in a hit-and-run incident in west Delhi’s Moti Nagar, police on Friday arrested a 20-year-old man, who was behind the wheel of the Haryana-registered car at the time of the incident. The accused did not have a driving licence, police said.

On Wednesday evening, the driver had fled after hitting 74-year-old Surajpal, a street vendor, and 48-year-old Munni Raj, who was crossing the road near the Jakhira roundabout, leaving behind his car. Police had registered a case on charges of rash driving and causing death by negligence.

Deputy commissioner of police (west) Sharad Darade said the accused was identified as Sumit Kumar, and that the car was owned by his father, Sanjay Kumar, of Sonipat in Haryana. “He has just graduated from class 12 and his father is a retired defence personnel. The father had sent him to buy medicine from Dhaula Kuan and he was returning home (when the incident took place),” the officer said.

Police said Sumit failed to produce a valid driving licence or the required insurance documents, following which Section 3/181 of the Motor Vehicles Act (MV Act) was invoked. Police said that the owner of the vehicle was also booked under sections 5/180 and 146/196 of the MV Act, for permitting an unlicensed and uninsured driver to operate the vehicle.

On Wednesday evening, the speeding car allegedly first hit Pal, who was sitting on a stool beside his push cart, where he sold peanuts and then hit Raj, who was crossing the road. The two were rushed to a city hospital, where they succumbed to their injuries.