Audi that hit elderly man in Noida was playing loud music, speeding: Police

Co-passenger Prince has also been booked for distracting the driver and instigating him to speed, said police

The driver of the Audi car that allegedly rammed and killed a 64-year-old man out buying milk in Noida’s Sector 53 on Sunday, was playing loud music and also speeding, said senior police officers on Wednesday, adding that the fellow passenger was also booked for distracting the driver.

The Audi was recovered from the parking lot of NBCC India’s office in Delhi’s East Kidwai Nagar on Tuesday. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

On Sunday around 6.30am, retired All India Radio employee and resident of Gijhore in Sector 53 Janak Dev Shah was on his way to buy milk when the speeding white Audi hit him at the intersection near Kanchanjunga Market in Sector 5, said police.

The CCTV camera footage of the accident was widely shared on social media platforms, and one of those clips showed Shah being flung into the air after being hit by the Audi, said police.

Police said a passerby alerted police after which a police team reached the scene and took Shah to a nearby private hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

“On Sunday morning, he left home, saying he would return in a few minutes. Later, our neighbour told us that he met with an accident near Kanchanjunga Market. When we reached the spot, we learned that the police had taken him to a nearby hospital. By the time we reached the hospital, we came to know that he was no more,” said Sandeep Shah, son of the deceased.

After preparing a route map and scanning CCTV cameras from more than 150 locations in Noida and Delhi, police on Tuesday afternoon traced the Audi to the parking lot at NBCC India’s office in East KIdwai Nagar in Delhi, said police, adding that the Audi carries a Haryana registration number and belongs to a man called Pramod Kumar, who is the third owner of the car and a native of Jharkhand.

Later, police towed the damaged car to Sector 24 police station in Noida and they arrested two suspects, Luv Singh, 24, the driver of the car and a resident of Palamu in Jharkhand, and Prince Kumar, 28, a resident of Delhi, who was in the passenger seat.

Luv had come to Delhi in search of a job and was residing with a relative. Prince, police said, is a family friend and a businessman.

“During interrogation, the suspects revealed that on Sunday around 5am, they were out on a drive in Noida and while returning home, they were playing loud music in the car. We believe that co-passenger Prince was instigating Luv to speed,” said Vivek Kumar Shrivastava, station house officer, Sector 24.

“When they reached near Kanchanjunga Market at a high speed, Shah suddenly appeared in front of their car after and Luv lost control of the vehicle and hit him, said Shrivastava.

“After hitting the man, the two did not stop and drove straight to NBCC India’s office in East Kidwai Nagar, which is close to their home, and parked the car there without informing anyone. Most likely, they thought the police would not find the car and they could later repair the car,” the SHO said.

“Car owner, Pramod, who is a farmer in Jharkhand’s Palamu, gave his car to his nephew Aniket, who is a government employee and resides in the NBCC staff quarters. After the accident, they easily got entry to the NBCC premises and left the car covered in the parking area,” said another police officer, asking not to be named.

“Pramod was unaware of the accident. He came to know about it only after the police contacted him on Tuesday,” said the officer.

“Co-passenger Prince has also been booked for distracting the driver,” said the SHO, adding that a case under sections 304 A (causing death by negligence) and 279 (rash driving) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against the suspects at Sector 24 police station, and further investigation is underway.