Bhubaneswar: Even after three days of the accident, police are yet to apprehend the owner of the SUV, which killed a mother-daughter duo in Odisha capital on Saturday evening.
The SUV was identified after examining CCTV cameras on over 2 km stretch and later found abandoned in Jatni area. The vehicle belongs to one Somnath Behera of Kusumati area. Though he is absconding, it is yet to be ascertained whether he was behind the wheels at the time of the accident.
The accident took place when Rebati Roul of Phuleswari Basti in the city was attempting to cross NH-16 at Patrapada on foot with her eight-year-old and two-year-old son. They were returning home after celebrating Raksha Bandhan at a relative’s place. While the little girl died on the spot after being hit by the SUV, Rebati succumbed to injuries on Monday. The two-year-old is undergoing treatment at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar and his condition is stated to be stable.
Rebati was the wife of home guard Manas Roul.
Eyewitnesses had then said two SUVs were allegedly racing each other at high speed, leading to the accident. Both vehicles fled without stopping to help the victims.
Meanwhile, Somnath was seen with an alcohol bottle, making arrangements for a drink in a car, in a video shared by his social media handle. While date, time and the make of the vehicle remain unknown, it is being suspected he might have been driving recklessly under the influence of alcohol on that day too.
MVI of RTO-2 Sanatan Kumar said that the SUV involved in the accident was registered in Bhubaneswar. “We will suspend the licence of the owner of the vehicle once he is arrested,” he added.
Residents of Phuleswari Basti have been blocking the highway for two days, demanding the arrest of the driver and construction of a foot overbridge at the site. The protests, which led to a massive traffic jam on both sides of the highway for over an hour, was called off on Monday evening after Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena rushed to the spot to pacify the agitators and also met the victim’s husband. He assured that the accused driver would be apprehended very soon. “We have identified the driver who caused the accident,” the DCP said.
Expressing grief over the demise of the woman and her daughter, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi also announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh each from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
