Bhubaneswar: A week after the fatal accident, police arrested two persons including the driver of the SUV, which killed a mother-daughter duo in Patrapada area of Odisha capital, even as the hunt continues for the driver of another vehicle.
The incident, which took place on the night of Rakhi Purnima, involved reckless racing between two SUVs in Bhubaneswar.
Sources said said two persons were taken into custody by the Khandagiri Police on Friday in connection with the incident. They included 22-year-old Ankit Sahu of Gangapada in Khurda district, who was allegedly driving the Scorpio. The other person was his associate, identified as Krushna Chandra Pradhan of Pentakata in Puri district.
Police said Ankit was racing the Scorpio alongside the Mahindra Thar SUV when the fatal crash took place near Patrapada Square.
Police have already seized the Thar which had been abandoned in Jatni area of Khurda district. Efforts are on to trace and apprehend its driver, whose identity is yet to be ascertained. Though the owner of the vehicle 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.
Expressing grief over the tragedy, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had announced an ex-gratia of Rs eight lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for the bereaved family, with Rs 4 lakh each for the deceased.