The Hyderabad police on Thursday arrested a young man who allegedly crushed a woman to death and injured five others under a Mercedes SUV that he was driving rashly. According to police, the accused is 25-year-old and is said to be the son of a tobacco trader. The details of the accused are likely to be announced on Friday. A 38-year-old woman, a beggar, was killed and five others injured when the overspeeding SUV rammed an auto-rickshaw and other vehicles in Shahali Banda in the old city of Hyderabad on Wednesday evening.
The driver of the car and the co-passengers were allegedly on a joyride and fled after the accident. Visuals of the incident showed a Mercedes GL-350 speeding away, allegedly after mowing down the pedestrian and others. The CCTV footage shows some people running for cover. In another clip, a co-passenger is seen with his head out of the car window.
A case under sections 304A (Causing death by negligence) and 337 (Causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered at Hussaini Alam police station. The Mercedes SUV was registered in Maharashtra. Police found the house of the accused locked. He, however, was arrested late on Thursday and is likely to be produced before the media on Friday.
Speaking to the media, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) G Biksham Reddy said, "At around 7 pm at Rajesh medical hall traffic signal in Shahalibanda, when pedestrians were crossing the road, a car came at a heavy speed and hit the traffic which included one woman and few other people. They were injured severely."
He added, "Following the information, Hussain Alam Inspector has shifted them to Osmania Hospital where one woman died and an auto driver's condition is critical while two other men are also being treated for injuries."
The ACP further stated that they have seized the vehicle based on statements from eye witnesses. According to him, there was no one at the residence of the accused when the vehicle was seized. Further investigation is ongoing. The accused is said to reside in Talab katta of Bhavaninagar in the old city.