ACP’s son, two others arrested in road rage death in Faridabad

The Thar – allegedly illegaly customised with tinted windows and broad alloy wheels – is registered in the name of ACP (Sarai) Rajesh Kumar Lohan, police said

Four men, including the son of an assistant commissioner of police (ACP), were detained in Faridabad on Tuesday after a 42-year-old property dealer was allegedly run over by a Mahindra Thar following a road rage altercation, police said. Investigators are interrogating the suspects to establish who was at the wheel of the SUV when it struck the victim.

The Thar – allegedly illegaly customised with tinted windows and broad alloy wheels – is registered in the name of ACP (Sarai) Rajesh Kumar Lohan, according to police. (HT Photo)

The deceased, Manoj Kumar, a resident of Nangla Enclave in Faridabad, succumbed to injuries at a private hospital in Sector 16 after the incident, which took place between 1am and 1.30am on Monday near a convention hall in Sector 12, investigators aware of the case details said.

The Thar – allegedly illegaly customised with tinted windows and broad alloy wheels – is registered in the name of ACP (Sarai) Rajesh Kumar Lohan, according to police. The officer admitted ownership of the vehicle but said his driver had taken it out that night. “I am fully cooperating with the investigation,” he maintained.

DCP (central) Usha Devi confirmed that four adults had been detained and were being questioned to determine the driver’s identity. “Once clear, the accused will be arrested and produced before court on Wednesday,” she said, adding that the other three occupants’ names and ages were not being disclosed as formal arrests were yet to be made.

Initially, police registered a case under Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Faridabad Central police station. But after protests from Manoj’s family, who accused authorities of shielding the ACP’s son, the charge was amended to Section 103(1) (murder).

DCP Devi, however, rejected claims the victim’s family’s allegations of bias and said a special investigation team led by ACP (Central) Rajiv Kumar was probing the case.

The altercation

According to the complaint filed in the case by the victim’s family, Manoj and five friends were waiting in a Scorpio in Sector 9 late Sunday night, while two other friends, Navdeep Singh (40) and Aman Kumar (39), rode a motorcycle to fetch food from Sector 12.

On the way, they clashed with the Thar occupants, who they alleged were driving rashly and performing stunts.

Manoj’s younger brother, Vicky Kumar, said in his complaint to the police, that the SUV nearly brushed the motorcycle near Sector 13.

“The duo scolded the Thar occupants, following which a heated altercation broke out. The Thar driver repeatedly drove towards the motorcycle to unbalance them and later fled towards Sector 12,” he alleged in his complaint. Vicky, however, was not present at the scene.

Navdeep and Aman then alerted their friends, including Manoj, who managed to trace the Thar in Sector 12. “My brother and his friends got out from their car after spotting the SUV performing stunts. But as soon as Navdeep and Aman reached there, the occupants panicked and fled after hitting my brother with their car,” Vicky alleged.

Manoj was rushed to a hospital by his friends but died during treatment. The victim’s family later refused to accept his body, accusing police of protecting the accused because of the ACP’s link to the vehicle.

Police said the autopsy report will only be available in a day or two, after which the exact nature of Manoj’s injuries will be known. DCP Devi said the person found to have been driving would undergo a medical examination after arrest. “Blood samples will also be collected for forensic analysis to ascertain if he was drunk at the time of the incident,” she added.