Jaipur: MLA’s son arrested after his BMW rams into auto; three killed
Three people were killed and several others, including four police officers, were injured when a speeding BMW car rammed into an autorickshaw and a police van near St Xavier’s School in Jaipur on Friday night.
Three people were killed and five others injured when a BMW car allegedly driven by an MLA’s son rammed into an autorickshaw and a police PCR van near St Xavier’s School in the city late on Friday night. Four police personnel were among those injured.
Police alleged that 20-year-old Siddharth, the son of independent MLA Nandkishore Mahariya, was driving the vehicle in an inebriated state.
The incident occurred around 1.50 am, while Siddharth and his cousin Jayant (19) were heading to Jyoti Nagar in a BMW 520d sedan. The three victims were identified as Jethanand, Kailash and Vishnu.
Among the police personnel, assistant sub-inspector Rajju Singh was admitted to SMS Hospital with head injuries. His condition is said to have stabilised. The other three policemen sustained minor injuries. “Prima facie, it seems like Siddharth was driving the car… It has been ascertained from the breathalyser test that both Siddharth and Jayant were drunk,” said Kamal Nayan, SHO of the accident police station (south).
While Siddharth was arrested, Jayant has reportedly been released by the police.
Ashok Nagar SHO Bala Ram said the bodies of the accident victims have been sent for a post-mortem examination. “An FIR has been lodged in this regard under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 279 (rash driving) of the IPC,” said Kamal Nayan, the investigating officer.
Police said they were investigating whether there were other people in the car at the time of the accident. “The main accused in the case is Siddharth because he was driving the vehicle. But we think there were two others in the car too, besides him and Jayant. They might have fled when the accident occurred. We are searching for them,” said additional DCP (South) Yogesh Goyal.
The legal limit of alcohol in blood is 30mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood. The accused, Siddharth, had 152 mg in his blood, according to the police.
Siddharth and Jayant have been frequently changing their statements, said Goyal, adding that the MLA’s son has denied driving under the influence of alcohol.
Nandkishore Mahariya, the MLA from Fatehpur in Sikar district, stood by his son’s statement. “Medical reports from the SMS Hospital clarified that they (Siddharth and Jayant) were not intoxicated. It was raining, and the autorickshaw – which, some say, didn’t have headlights on – hit the front portion of the car from the side. They had gone out for ice-cream after having dinner at home,” said Mahariya.
He also denied that Siddharth was behind the wheel. “There were three people in the car – Siddharth, his friend and the driver. The driver was driving the car, but he fled from the spot when the accident occurred. He has now accepted his fault… he is in the police station,” the MLA added.
Mahariya maintained that though it was an unfortunate incident that cost three lives, the police were blowing it out of proportion. “They have booked a case under Section 304. It was an accident, and they should treat it like an accident,” he said.