Bhubaneswar: What initially appeared to be a car crash on Cuttack-Puri Bypass near Kesura in Odisha capital took a sinister turn on Monday after CCTV footage revealed that the high-speed vehicle rampage was an intentional act of aggression following an argument at a roadside eatery (dhaba), prompting police to slap attempted murder charges on the driver.
The accused driver has been identified as Soumya Ranjan Rath, a 20-year-old law student and son of a Kolkata-based businessman, who was earlier arrested in July this year after his Mercedes allegedly rammed into a motorcyclist at Sastri Nagarnight, killing the rider on the spot.
According to sources, the latest accident occurred early in this morning after Rath spent the night drinking at a local dhaba near Kesura. At around 6:30 am, a dispute broke out between him and the eatery staff over an unpaid bill. Refusing to settle the dues, he got into his car and intentionally accelerated toward the staff and nearby pedestrians. The vehicle struck at least three people and damaged around seven motorbikes parked along the road.
After the rampage, Rath abandoned the car and tried to escape by boarding a bus, but local residents intercepted him, overpowered him, and assaulted him, leaving him with minor injuries. Police from Badagada station arrived, took him into custody, and admitted him to Capital Hospital. The injured victims were also treated at the same hospital.
During a search of the vehicle, police recovered several items, including photocopies of Aadhaar cards belonging to Soumya Ranjan Rath and his father, as well as an official police identity card belonging to Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Tapan Kumar Patnaik.
Investigation is underway to ascertain whether Rath was under the influence of alcohol and whether he used the senior police officer’s credential to bypass drunk-driving checkpoints set up across the city for festival security. Besides attempt to murder, additional charges have been slapped after he engaged in physical aggression and misbehaviour with PCR staff who arrived at the scene.
Officials from the Regional Transport Office and the Motor Vehicle Inspector have visited Badagada police station and initiated procedures to permanently revoke Rath’s driving license and cancel the vehicle’s registration.
