Jaipur: A manhunt has been launched to track down a businessman named Dinesh Rinwa, who was allegedly behind the wheels of a luxury car that mowed down 17 people in Rajasthan’s Jaipur on Friday night.
One person lost his life in the incident that occurred near the Kharbas Circle under the Patrakar Colony police station area. Four people were critically injured.
According to the police, the Audi car was racing with another vehicle when it hit a road divider and rammed into roadside food stalls, as reported by timesnow.in.
There were four people in the car, and all of them were allegedly intoxicated, the police said. One occupant has been detained while others fled. The vehicle has been seized.
As per reports, the car first hit a divider, went out of control, and rammed roadside stalls and food carts over a 30-metre stretch before coming to a halt. Several parked vehicles were also damaged in the incident.
Station House Officer (SHO) Madan Kadwasra said more than 50 people were present at the spot when the car went out of control.
“The car hit over 10 stalls, ran over
more than 16 people and finally stopped after crashing into a tree about 100 metres away,” he told news agency PTI, adding that another car overturned due to the impact.
All injured were taken to the Jaipuria Hospital for primary treatment. While eight were admitted, others were taken to private hospitals or went home with family members.
One of the injured, Ramesh Bairwa, a resident of Bhilwara, later died during treatment. Four critically injured patients were shifted to SMS Hospital, the police said.
“At around 9:30 pm, we received information about the accident. Many people were injured, and a large crowd had gathered at the spot. Following a humanitarian approach, the injured were first put into private vehicles, police Chetak vans, and ambulances and immediately sent to the hospital,” another SHO Gurbhupinder Singh, said.
The police claimed that Rinwa managed to flee the spot with two others, leaving behind the car, which he had bought three months ago.
The fourth occupant of the vehicle was caught by locals and handed over to police. The accused were allegedly intoxicated. The car has been seized and mobile phones were recovered from it, it has been reported.
Rajasthan chief minister Bhajanlal Sharma expressed grief over the death and directed officials to ensure that the injured receive proper treatment. Deputy chief minister Premchand Bairwa and Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar visited Jaipuria Hospital to enquire about the condition of the injured.