Dhanas accident: 48 hrs later, cops still dithering on naming Beetle driver in FIR
Chandigarh Police had lodged an FIR under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code hours after the accident; but, two days later, remain clueless about who was driving the hatchback
Over 48 hours after a speeding Volkswagen Beetle crashed into seven people, killing three of them, in Dhanas on Wednesday evening, police are yet to name the accused driver in the FIR, let alone make an arrest.
Police had lodged an FIR under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code hours after the accident. But, two days later, remain clueless about who was driving the hatchback. If proven, the charge is punishable with imprisonment for life or imprisonment up to 10 years.
Among the deceased are Rajwanti, 52, who was crushed by the car on Wednesday evening, while Mustafa Ansari, 23, had succumbed to his injuries around 3.30 am on Thursday and Bimlesh, 50, a day later.
Though the driver remains out of police grip, sources privy to the investigation said police had procured CCTV footage in which the driver can be seen.
Police sources also said videos recorded by onlookers after the accident showed the driver running towards the car. In another video, a girl can been seen taking out some belongings from the car.
Initial investigation by police has pointed out that there were two persons in the car at the time of the accident, while the family members of the car owner claim that a driver was behind the wheel at the time of accident.
The vehicle is registered in the name of Kamaljit Singh, a resident of Prabhat Road, Zirakpur, and one of the directors of a Zirakpur mall.
A senior police officer said it was for the owner to produce the driver. Teams had visited the house of the registered owner but returned empty handed.
The Beetle, bearing a Punjab registration number (PB23-J-0001), had first hit a parked motorcycle, before veering towards a footpath, hitting seven people. Post-mortem of the three deceased was conducted on Friday.
