HYDERABAD: Disturbing details are emerging of the hit-and-run incident that took place on Road No. 36, Jubilee Hills on Wednesday which left a youth working as a bouncer dead, and his friend injured.
According to police, the car that hit the two-wheeler on which Tarak Ram and Yesu Raju were travelling was being driven by Kovvuri Rithwik Reddy, a techie.
On Thursday, police arrested Rithvik Reddy, Vaishnavi, Lokeshwar Rao, Abhilash and Aniket and charged them with negligence, attempted culpable homicide and traffic violations under IPC Sections 304 (2) and 308, as well as Section 18 of the MV Act.
Identifying the accused with the help of CCTV cameras, the police noticed the accused car heading towards BHEL, where his cousin, Suresh resides. However, instead of approaching the police, Suresh secured the vehicle at his home and dropped all the offenders at their residences and went absconding. He has been booked under IPC Section 202.
Protests erupted in front of Jubilee Hills police station on Tuesday as Tarak’s family demanded justice. To control the situation, the accused was detained at the SR Nagar police station overnight, and was later brought to Jubilee Hills police station.
Briefing reporters, Jubilee Hills ACP K Hari Prasad said that the deceased, Tarak, and his friend Yesu, were both employed as bouncers at Artistry Pub, Novotel. They were heading home after completing their work when the speeding car, driven by Rithwik, hit them from behind.
However, instead of stopping and checking, Rithwik sped away, the ACP said. Tracking the car through CCTV cameras, police found that Rithwik drove to BHEL where his cousin Suresh lives and told him about the accident. Suresh then parked the car in his house and dropped the five other accused at their residence, before going underground.
Meanwhile, the police traced Rithwik and his car through CCTV footage, identified the car and zeroed in on the culprits. They were arrested and taken to the SR Nagar police station and later shifted to Jubilee Hills police station.
According to the police, all the accused were consuming alcohol while driving around the city.
However, the question that remained unanswered was why there were no drunk driving checks during weeknights. One of Tarak’s relatives wondered whether drunk driving incidents take place only during weekends.