Greater Noida, Sept. 22 -- A 40-year-old Supreme Court lawyer was killed and his wife critically injured after a Thar allegedly rammed their scooter near the Itaira roundabout in Greater Noida West on Monday evening. The SUV was abandoned at the spot after the crash and its driver fled, police said.
The deceased, Neeraj Srivastav, a resident of Chipiyana, was travelling with his wife on the scooter when the collision occurred in the Bisrakh police station area. The impact left both seriously injured. They were rushed to a nearby hospital, where Neeraj succumbed to his injuries during treatment. His wife remains in critical condition.
Neeraj's elder brother, Amit Kumar, said the family was struggling to cope with the severity of his sister-in-law's injuries. He said she remains in a coma and has suffered 18 fractures in the crash.
"Her condition remains extremely critical. She is currently in a coma. Since yesterday, the doctors have raised medical bills of around Rs 7 lakh. The entire left side of her body has become paralysed. She has suffered 18 fractures, her pelvic region has been completely crushed and she has already undergone multiple surgeries," Amit said. The family has alleged that the Thar was being driven at high speed and on the wrong side of the road when it collided with the scooter. Amit said his brother was travelling in his designated lane and had no role in causing the accident.
"My brother is no more. He was a lawyer practising in the Supreme Court. It was not his fault. He was driving in his own lane when the Thar came from the wrong side,"
he said.
The family has also raised allegations about the condition of those travelling in the SUV. Amit said eyewitnesses at the scene told the family that the occupants of the Thar had been drinking. According to him, four young men were travelling in the vehicle, of whom two were caught by people at the spot while the other two escaped.
"Eyewitnesses said the occupants were drunk. There were four boys in the vehicle. Two were caught by people at the spot, while the other two managed to flee," Amit alleged.
Police have not officially confirmed the allegation of drunken driving. They are examining CCTV footage and other evidence to establish what happened immediately before and after the collision.
Ranjeet Kumar Singh, station house officer of Bisrakh police station, said CCTV cameras installed around the accident site and on adjoining roads were being examined. The footage would help reconstruct the collision, determine the speed and direction of the Thar and identify the route taken by the driver after abandoning the SUV.
"CCTV footage around the incident spot is being examined. This will help establish how the accident occurred and ascertain the speed of the Thar. Teams have also been formed to trace the driver," Singh said. The Thar was taken into police custody after it was found abandoned at the accident site. Police are examining the vehicle as part of the investigation and checking footage from nearby roads to establish where the driver went after fleeing.
People in the vicinity alerted police following the crash. A police team reached the spot and arranged medical assistance for the injured couple. Neeraj's body was subsequently sent for post-mortem examination and his family was informed.
Police said a complaint from the deceased's family was being obtained and legal action was being taken accordingly.
CCTV footage, witness accounts and other available evidence are being examined to establish the circumstances leading to the crash.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.