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Hit-and-run: 6-year-old mowed down by car in Lucknow; Class 12 student held
An FIR was registered based on a complaint given by the mother of the deceased child, Deekshant Patel, 6.
A day after a speeding car driven by a Class 12 student rammed into a bike, an autorickshaw and pedestrians in Banthra area, killing a 6-year-old boy and injuring four others, on Kanpur Road on Thursday evening, police on Friday arrested the accused who turned out to be 21 years old.
An FIR was registered based on a complaint given by the mother of the deceased child, Deekshant Patel, 6.
Officials said that the accused, identified as Gaurav Singh, was not minor, as presumed earlier, and documents confirmed his age. They added that it was still being probed how a 21-year-old is a Class 12 student and that he may have started his studies late.
Police said Gaurav was returning after attending a farewell party with a female friend from his school when the accident occurred. He allegedly abandoned his friend at the spot and sped off.
“The vehicle has also been seized while all the injured are fine and two of them have been discharged,” DCP (South) Nipun Agarwal said.
Krishnanagar ACP Rajneesh Verma said the accused had reportedly borrowed the car from a friend. “The accused has a driving licence which confirms his age and that he is not a minor,” the ACP said, adding he belongs to a middle-class family and his father owns a cement shop in the area.
DCP (South) Nipun Agrawal also confirmed that the accused is 21 years old according to his driving licence.
When asked why he was still in Class 12 at the age of 21, the DCP said, “We are trying to find out the reason. For now, it appears he started his studies late.”
Police are also questioning the girl, said to be a minor, who was accompanying him and whom the accused left behind at the scene.
The accident occurred around 6 pm on Thursday. “On receiving information, a team from Banthra police station reached the spot and found that an unidentified car had hit an autorickshaw and pedestrians walking along the road. The injured were rushed to a hospital. They have been identified as Armaan, 12, Awadh Bihari, 42, Sadhna Verma, 35, and Meena Devi, 60 -- all residents of Lucknow, a police statement said.
Video goes viral; car at over 100 kmph
In the viral footage, the car is seen moving at high speed, first hitting a biker and then crashing into an autorickshaw and pedestrians, triggering panic in the busy market area. Police said the driver fled with the vehicle but left behind his minor friend. Locals handed her over to the police. During questioning, she reportedly identified the driver as Gaurav Singh and said both study at the same school.
RTO suspends driving licence
Road traffic officer Sanjay Tiwari has suspended Singh’s driving licence for six months. According to official records, Gaurav was born on January 21, 2005, and his permanent licence was issued on February 13, 2024.
What eyewitnesses and families said
“I was sitting in a shop when a car came at very high speed and hit five to six people. It didn’t stop, but kept moving forward, knocking people down. One man was in a very serious condition,” said Ratan, who saw the incident unfold.
Pramod Kumar, a resident of Sahijanpur, said he had parked his bike and was buying items from a nearby shop when the car rammed into his vehicle. “People tried to catch the driver but he sped off. In the process, he lost control and ploughed into pedestrians in the crowded market,” Pramod said.
Deekshant’s grandfather Santosh Kumar said the family is originally from Ugu village in Safipur tehsil of Unnao and had been living in Banthra for the child’s education. “Deekshant’s mother stayed in a rented room so that he could study at Kendriya Vidyalaya. He had gone to the market with his grandmother when the tragedy struck,” Santosh said.
Awadh Bihari, an auto-rickshaw driver from Pathraha, said he was waiting for passengers near the intersection when the vehicle struck from behind. “Suddenly, someone hit my auto. My mind went numb. I don’t remember anything after that. People took me to the hospital,” he said.
His wife Shiv Devi said she received a call from police informing her about the crash. “My husband had just got off and was sitting in the auto when a four-wheeler hit him. He has sustained a head injury and is not fully conscious yet,” she said.
