BHUBANESWAR: A 20-year-old law student driving under the influence of alcohol rammed his Mercedes-Benz into a motorcyclist, killing him on the spot, in Sashtri Nagar area of the city on Monday night. The accused Soumya Ranjan Rath has been arrested by police.
The deceased was identified as Debi Prasad Routray of Nischintakoili in Jagatsinghpur district. Rath, a student of a private law university in the city, has been booked under section 281, 105 and 106(1)of BNS and 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act, police said. As per reports, the incident occurred near Shastri Nagar in Unit III at around 10.30 pm on Monday when the West Bengal-registered Mercedes-Benz driven by Rath rammed into Routray’s motorcycle.
Locals, who rushed to the spot immediately after the incident, alleged that Rath was driving the car at high-speed. Such was the force with which he hit Routray’s motorcycle that the two-wheeler was completely mangled. Routray was rushed to the Capital hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Tension escalated in the area after Rath allegedly attempted to flee the scene. The locals caught hold of him and another female passenger who was in the car. On being alerted, Kharvela Nagar police reached the spot, rescued the duo and took them for questioning. Rath was subsequently arrested.
Police said the breath analyser test conducted on the accused after his detention recorded a blood alcohol level of 127 mg/100ml, far exceeding the limit of 30 mg/100ml.
“A case has been registered in this connection. Further investigation is in progress,” police said.