Woman Injured In Bhubaneswar Hit-&-Run Case Succumbs

Bhubaneswar/Cuttack: A woman, who sustained critical injuries in a road accident involving an SUV near Power House Chhak in Bhubaneswar on October 31, died while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Odisha’s Cuttack city on Friday.

The deceased has been identified as Lopamudra Sahu. She was riding pillion with her relative, a retired CISF jawan Kanhucharan Nayak, when the speeding Range Rover hit their motorcycle and flung the duo into the air. Lopamudra sustained head injuries in the accident and she along with Kanhucharan were rescued by police and admitted to Capital Hospital here.

The woman was later shifted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack and subsequently to a private hospital in the city as her condition deteriorated. She, however, succumbed to her injuries during treatment in the ICU of the private hospital.

Kanhucharan’s condition is also stated to be critical.

While police have arrested the driver of the SUV, it is being suspected that another person was also travelling in the vehicle since two airbags got busted during the accident. The luxury vehicle with registration number OD-23K 0006 reportedly belongs to a company in which Bishal Kumar Das, the son of former Odisha minister Late Naba Das, is a director.

Bishal is yet to react to these reports.

The role of police has also come under scanner in this case and they are being accused of protecting the culprits by allegedly changing the registration number of the SVU, involved in the accident. The initial release from the Bhubaneswar DCP office mentioned the registration number of the vehicle as OD-33-AF-6726, which was rectified after 2 and a half hours.

A lawyer told a local channel that an FIR should be registered against the investigating officer of Capital police station for releasing two registration numbers for the vehicle as per the circular of Crime Branch DG.

Lopamudra’s brother had earlier told the media that they had sold ornaments and other valuables to meet her medical expenses. “The Commissionerate Police had initially issued one registration number of vehicle and now it has been changed. We do not know whether they are late minister’s family or anyone else, we want justice.”