AHMEDABAD: A rickshaw driver allegedly ran over a passenger following a fare dispute near Ahmedabad's Vadaj bus stand. The passenger succumbed to his injuries.
The accused, identified as Sameer Nat, picked up two passengers for a ride to Navrangpura. One of the passengers had agreed to pay Rs 30 for the trip but later claimed that he didn't have money. Tensions escalated when the rickshaw approached its destination. After one passenger got down, the other stepped out along with the driver to use the restroom. Tensions flared again, leading to a heated argument.
In a fit of rage, the rickshaw driver allegedly pushed the passenger to the ground. Moments later, the driver got back in his vehicle, circled back and allegedly ran over the passenger. The passenger sustained severe injuries to his leg and head, which proved fatal.
Initially, police registered the case as an accidental death and launched a routine probe.
However, further investigation by the Zone-1 LCB and other teams revealed a CCTV footage where the rickshaw driver himself had intentionally mowed down the victim. With this evidence, police arrested the accused, Sameer Nat.
"At around 11 pm yesterday, a call came into the control room reporting a body near Navrangpura," said Ahmedabad Traffic DCP Safin Hasan while addressing the media. "Traffic police reached the spot and initially suspected an accident. After reviewing CCTV footage, they alerted the local police, who then arrived to investigate further."
"The footage revealed an unidentified person walking on the road when a rickshaw, coming from the wrong side, hit him. Shortly after, incident rickshaw took a U-turn, ran over the already fallen victim, and fled," Hasan stated.
"A case was filed under Section 103/1 of the IPC at Navrangpura police station. During the investigation, the accused, Sameer Raghunath, was arrested and confessed to the crime."
Police are pursuing further legal action.