NE NEWS SERVICE
AHMEDABAD, DECEMBER 4
A 47-year-old man man, riding a two-wheeler, died in Ahmedabad on Tuesday after he was allegedly hit by a car belonging to Dani Limda Congress MLA Shailesh Parmar. Parmar’s speeding car knocked down his scooter on Monday night on the road near the Gokul Row House area in Memnagar, Ahmedabad West.
The victim Prafulbhai Patel, who was on his way to bring his son back from tuition classes was riding his Honda Activa when the four-wheeler which was at a suspected speed of over 100 km/hr hit the scooter from behind. The victim died on the spot of serious head and body injuries.
The car was registered in the name of Parmar, who represents Danilimda (SC) constituency in the city.
On hearing about the incident, traffic police ‘A’ division police inspector, PB Khambhla, arrived with his officials and sent the body of the victim to the hospital for post mortem.
According to police, they were informed by the MLA that his driver had taken the car and was driving the vehicle at the time of the accident.
“The MLA told us that his driver had taken the car and was driving at the time of the incident. If it is confirmed, the driver will be arrested,” police said.
A case has been registered under Indian Penal Code sections 279 (Rash driving or riding on a public way), 338 (Causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 304A (Causing death by negligence).
The family members of the deceased alleged that Parmar’s son was driving the car.
The Congress MLA further told the police, who had reached the MLAs house to take his statement almost 15 hours after the incident took place, that both, his Innova car which was involved in the accident and his driver were missing after the mishap.
“I got to know about the accident nearly an hour-and-a-half after it took place last night. I spoke to the deceased’s family later on phone and assured them of my full support,” Parmar said.
“I will help police in the investigation. It was our driver, Dharmesh Bhavsar, who was behind the wheels,” he added.
A Traffic police registered a complaint for causing death by negligence and rash driving and began an investigation after seizing the car. On Tuesday afternoon, Bhavsar appeared before police.
Inspector P B Chauhan of A Traffic police said, “Though the driver has appeared before us but we will continue to investigate whether he was involved in the accident or some other person was driving the car.”
Locals in Memnagar said a boy of about 20 was driving the car. A police official also said that driver’s mobile phone location suggested he was not in Memnagar when the accident took place.Parmar was also questioned by A Traffic police and maintained that Bhavsar was driving. The victim’s family members said that Patel, a marginal farmer, was the sole earning member of his family, which comprised his wife and two sons, who are students.
The shattered family of Prafull Patel has lost its sole earning member. It now seeks justice. Divyesh Patel, the cousin of the deceased, was giving solace to Patel’s elder son, Daksh, who has passed Class 12. “Prafullbhai’s children —Daksh, 19, and Jaanya, 8 — cannot complete their education if they are not helped,” Divyesh said. “The family should be given adequate compensation so that it can live a dignified life.” He said that CCTV footage shows that the man driving the car was speeding when he hit Patel. Divyesh said that the driver should be prosecuted. On his father’s last words, Daksh said: “He told me that he was going to bring back Jaanya from the tuition class but never returned.”
Traffic police and FSL experts have examined the car and the CCTV footage of the crash. They have concluded that the car was travelling at 90 kmph at the moment of impact. The analysis of the accident suggested that the car was travelling at such high speed that it swerved and hit Patel’s scooter.
