Builder, driver booked for murder after two cops die in Innova crash

Following the Innova car crash near Vasundhara late Sunday night that resulted in the death of two policemen assigned to provide security cover to a builder, the Ghaziabad police have booked the private developer and his driver on charges of murder, senior officers in the know of the matter said on Tuesday, adding that the case was lodged on a complaint given by the victim families.

According to police, developer Nikhil Chaudhary, his driver Manoj Sharma and the two police security personnel -- Jai Om Sharma from Delhi Police and Jaivir Singh Raghav from the Ghaziabad police -- were travelling in the Innova when it crashed into the road median late Sunday night beneath the Hindon elevated road.The SUV was thrown up in the impact of the crash and landed on several parked cars nearby, police said

The two policemen were severely injured and were declared dead while being rushed to a hospital. The police detained Sharma after the incident but Chaudhary managed to leave the spot unhurt.

“In this connection, the families had given a police complaint alleging murder. They have alleged that the two men were murdered and the suspects tried to portray it as an accident. We have registered an FIR of murder against Chaudhary and his driver. The driver has been detained for questioning while Chaudhary has been picked up for questioning. One CCTV footage near the spot indicates that it was an accident. Chaudhary told us that he was driving the car in an inebriated state,” said Nimish Patil, deputy commissioner of police (trans Hindon).

“Although we have registered an FIR of murder, there is no evidence which have come forth so far to suggest that there was foul play. The autopsy report has not indicated any suspicious injuries apart from those sustained in the crash. Also, no motive has come to light so far. We are investigating and questioning the two men. Our teams are trying to collect more CCTV footage from near the incident site,” Patil said, adding that the FIR was lodged at the Indirapuram station.