Murder charges added against Jaguar driver after woman dies in accident

Samuel Andrew Pyster was earlier booked for causing death by negligence under the Indian Penal Code but the charge was converted to murder on Tuesday after city police commissioner Laxmi Singh visited the spot

The Gautam Budh Nagar police on Tuesday said they have added murder charges to the FIR registered in connection with the death of a woman scooter driver, who succumbed to injuries caused by a speeding Jaguar that allegedly crashed into her scooter on Sunday morning, outside the Supertech e-Square building in Sector 96.

Police said the accident took place when the driver tried to carelessly overtake another vehicle and hit Dipika Tripathi’s scooter in the process. (HT Photo)

Police said 24-year-old Dipika Tripathi a Noida resident, was going to work when the car driven by Samuel Andrew Pyster (31) hit her scooter, around 10am Sunday.

Pyster was earlier booked for causing death by negligence under the Indian Penal Code but the charge was converted to murder on Tuesday after city police commissioner Laxmi Singh visited the spot.

Based on the compliant of the victim’s brother on Monday, a case under section 279 (rash driving), 304A (causing death by negligence) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of the Indian Penal Code was registered against the driver and he was arrested. On Tuesday, Section 302 (murder) of the IPC was added to the FIR.

Tripathi worked as a receptionist at e-Square, while Pyster, who lives in Faridabad, works as a manager for American Express. He was visiting a café for breakfast with another friend when the accident took place. The luxury had a VIP registration number from Odisha, police said.

Police said the accident took place when the driver allegedly tried to carelessly overtake another vehicle and hit Tripathi’s scooter in the process. She was rushed to a private hospital in Sector 110 where the doctors declared her dead on arrival.

Joint commissioner (law and order) Ravi Shankar Chhabi said police chief Laxmi Singh and other senior officers visited the spot on Tuesday morning, following which the murder charges were added to the FIR.

“After an inspection of the spot and the recording of statements by eyewitnesses, we have added murder charges to the FIR. The site itself does not allow for speeding or careless driving. We are also initiating a campaign against such rash driving. Strict action will be taken against drivers found driving beyond the speed limit,” said Chhabi.

According to the traffic police, speeding and driving on the wrong side are among the most common traffic offences in the district.

According to data available with the police, over 350 people lost their lives this year in road accidents across Gautam Budh Nagar and about three road crash incidents were reported every day in the district.