- Friday, March 14, 2025
In a video captured by an eyewitness, the driver, Rakshit Chaurasiya, comes out of the car and shouts “Another round? Another round?”. He was later arrested
By: India Weekly
A WOMAN died on the spot and four others sustained injuries when a speeding car driven by a 20-year-old law student crashed into three two-wheelers and dragged them for some distance in Gujarat’s Vadodara city early Friday (14), police said.
The accident occurred around 12.30 am near Muktanand crossroads in the Karelibaug area following which the driver, Rakshit Chaurasiya, was arrested, said Deputy Commissioner of Police Panna Momaya.
It could be a case of drunk driving as eyewitnesses, who caught Chaurasiya at the scene, told the police that he appeared intoxicated and was screaming “another round, another round” after coming out of the car, the official said.
The deceased woman has been identified as Hemali Patel, who was riding her scooter at the time of the accident.
Chaurasiya, who originally hails from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, is a law student and lives in a PG accommodation in Vadodara, Momaya told reporters.
“The car belonged to his friend Mit Chauhan, who was sitting in the co-driver’s seat when Chaurasiya rammed the car into some two-wheelers at full speed while going towards Muktanand circle,” she said.
Efforts are being made to track down Chauhan, the official said.
In a video captured by an eyewitness, Chauhan comes out of the car, with a wrecked front portion, and starts blaming Chaurasiya for the crash. He also mentioned a girl’s name, Nikita, and suddenly started chanting ‘Om Namah Shivaay’.
Chaurasiya, who appears incoherent, keeps shouting, “Another round? Another round?”.
The video shows Chaurasiya getting thrashed by bystanders, who subsequently handed him over to the police.
In CCTV footage accessed by media, the speeding car can be seen hitting two scooters, knocking down the riders and dragging them along before coming to a halt.
“Primarily, the car was speeding. This can also be a case of drunk driving. We will conduct his medical test to determine whether he was under the influence of alcohol,” said DCP, adding that Chaurasiya does have a driving licence.
Dry state
Interestingly, the Gujarat High Court had in a recent judgment made it clear that since Gujarat was a dry state, no amount of alcohol consumption is permissible, particularly at the time of driving.
Justice Sandeep N Bhatt had last September held the concept of “permissible” limit of alcohol consumption while driving is not applicable in the state of Gujarat. (Agencies)
