Rolls-tanker accident: Kuber Group director Vikas Malu told to join investigation

Nuh police has formed a SIT to investigate the accident after new evidence suggested that the luxury sedan was speeding and rear-ended the fuel tanker.

The Nuh police on Friday served notice to Kuber Group director Vikas Malu to join the probe after the Rolls Royce he was travelling in on August 22 allegedly rammed an oil tanker on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Nuh, leaving two dead and four injured, including Malu himself, senior officers in the know of the matter said.

The Rolls Royce of a prominent industrialist was completely gutted after it rammed an oil tanker on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway on August 22 and caught fire. (HT Photo)

This comes a day after the Nuh police formed a special investigation team (SIT) to investigate the accident after new evidence suggested that the luxury sedan was speeding and rear-ended the fuel tanker.

RK Thakur, Malu’s counsel, confirmed that they have received the notice and said they have filed a reply that Malu will join investigations once he is discharged from the hospital after a week.

“He is to undergo a surgery for elbow dislocation on Monday. He has also suffered injuries to his lungs. He is recovering at the hospital and is in no state to join the investigation at present. His driver Tasbir was driving the Rolls and Malu was in the rear seat along with a woman passenger when the accident happened,” he said.

The woman, identified only by her first name as Divya, was discharged from the hospital and getting treated for rib fractures, said police.

Thakur said his client’s car was in a convoy with four other vehicles and they were headed to Jaipur to attend a family function.

“The car was not speeding; the speed limit on the expressway is 120km per hour. We have examined the CCTV footage and my client’s car was in their lane. All of a sudden, the oil tanker driver, without switching on his indicator, turned left to make an unauthorised U-turn. The car was going above 100km per hour and the driver could not apply the brakes on time and rammed the truck. The truck driver was completely at fault,” he said.

Thakur said the Rolls driver has joined the investigation and his statement has been recorded by the police.

“Driving below a speed of 50km per hour on an expressway is “more dangerous”,” he said, adding that Malu had not instructed his driver to drive either fast or slow.

Narender Bijarniya, superintendent of police, Nuh, said the crime investigation agency (CIA) in Nuh is conducting the investigation and have identified vehicles and eyewitnesses for questioning. “We will carry out a fair probe based on evidence and witnesses,” he said.