Teen driver held for hitting, dragging school girl in Gurugram

Police said the 19-year-old took the vehicle without owner’s knowledge and went for a joyride. The SUV, bought in December, did not yet have a registration number.

The suspected driver of a Mahindra Scorpio, who allegedly hit and dragged a 10-year-old girl in Adarsh Nagar in Sector 12, leaving her critically injured, was arrested by Gurugram Police on Saturday. The accused was held from Sector 4 market, they added.

The accused, a driver for a transporter in Palam Vihar, was arrested from Sector 4 market. Police said he lost control due to speeding; vehicle seized for probe. (File photo)

The suspect was identified as Nikhil Kumar, 19, of Sihor village in Mahendragarh, police said. He worked as a driver for a transporter in Palam Vihar and was driving Singh’s Scorpio when the incident occurred on Friday morning, police said.

The victim, Vidhi Kumari, a Class VI student, was on her way to school when she was hit from behind in a narrow lane and dragged after the vehicle struck at least two parked motorcycles, investigators said. Locals rushed her to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Police said the transporter had purchased the Scorpio on December 2 and was outstation for a week. Kumar, who had the keys, allegedly took the vehicle to his PG to impress roommates and drove it out for a joyride on Friday, leading to the crash.

Sandeep Turan, public relations officer of Gurugram police, said the driver was speeding and lost control. “We have also seized the Scorpio with which he caused the accident. It was a new car which was yet to get even its registration number. Kumar had come to Gurugram two months back and was living in a PG in Sector-12,” he said.

On the complaint of the girl’s brother, an FIR was registered under sections 281 (rash driving) and 125 (endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Sector 14 police station on Friday.