Audi car accident: CCTV footage of Nagpur bar missing

Maharashtra BJP chief's son Sanket Bawankule’s Audi, allegedly driven by his friend Arjun Hawre, hit several vehicles in Ramdaspeth.

The Nagpur police claimed on Thursday that the CCTV footage of the bar visited by Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule's son Sanket Bawankule hours before the Audi crash, is missing.

A police personnel near the damaged Audi owned by Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule's son Sanket Bawankule.(PTI)

Sanket Bawankule’s Audi, allegedly driven by his friend Arjun Hawre, hit several vehicles in Ramdaspeth in the early hours of Monday, leaving two persons injured. The police have seized the digital video recorder.

One of the cars hit by the Audi chased down the vehicle and apprehended Bawankule's friends Hawre and Ronit Chittwamwar. They were later handed over to the police. Hawre was arrested and released on bail.

“The CCTV footage of when they were at La Horre Bar (before the crash) is missing. We seized their DVR on Wednesday and have sent it for forensic analysis," a Sitabuldi police station official said.

The bar management had refused to hand over the CCTV footage to the police. However, threatened with legal action, they relented. However, the footage from Sunday night was missing.

“The bar management relented after it was threatened with legal action. However, we realised there had been no footage since Sunday night. Further probe is underway,” he told the police.

The police had said that Sanket was in the car but hadn't been driving. They consumed liquor, chicken and mutton dishes at the bar.

Nagpur Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rahul Madane said on Tuesday that Sanket Bawankule confessed to being in the car.

"We have questioned all three occupants of the car. We arrested the driver, Arjun, but he was later granted bail as it was a bailable offence." He also mentioned that the medical samples of the occupants were sent for forensic analysis, and the report is awaited.

Madane added that the car's number plate was found inside the vehicle. “There were three people in the car: Arjun Hawre, Sanket Bawankule, and Ronit Chittamwar. They (the injured) were found to be normal after a medical examination, and nothing serious was detected. Sanket Bawankule confessed that he was in the car.”

Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule had said justice should be equal for all. He said proper action should be taken against them "whether the car was is in the name of my son or a criminal".

With inputs from PTI, ANI