Victim’s friend claims cops tried to shield the accused

At the hospital, I told the police that it was an attempt to kill us... The policemen threatened that I could get into legal trouble if I called it anything but a simple accident.

MANINDER SINGH, Victim’s friend

NEWDELHI: Friend of a young photography student who died in a road accident early on Sunday has alleged that the police tried to shield the accused.

Maninder Singh, a friend of victim, Gurmeet Singh, alleged that he was told by cops not to call it a murder but a simple accident, instead. Maninder and Gurmeet were riding a bike when the accused hit their vehicle from behind, allegedly deliberately. Gurmeet suffered serious injuries and had slipped into a coma, before succumbing to his wounds on Wednesday.

“At the hospital, I told the police that it was an attempt to kill us as the errant driver was the same person who had threatened us after we asked him to stop smoking in the public,” alleged Maninder.

“But the policemen threatened that I could get into legal trouble if I called it anything but a simple accident,” Maninder alleged.

The police had initially booked the accused, Rohit Krishna Mahanta under comparatively lenient charges of rash driving and causing hurt by a negligent act. They relied on the statement of an Ola driver whose car was also hit by the Ford Fiesta driven by Mahanta.

Mahanta, a practising lawyer who works under a standing counsel of Assam government, was let off on bail.

The police denied allegations of a cover up.

“Maninder was unfit for statement at that time, so we went by the Ola driver’s version. Now that more facts have emerged, based on Maninder’s statement, we are taking legal action accordingly,” said Chinmoy Biswal, additional DCP (south). On Wednesday, the police booked Mahanta under murder charge. He was arrested in the night.

Mahanta’s medical examination showed that he was drunk at the time of the accident.

Ishwar Singh, DCP (south), said Mahanta got himself admitted to a private hospital on learning about murder charges against him.

Gurpreet’s f ather, Onkar Singh, also alleged that the local police were trying to “lure me into a compromise”.

“But I want to set an example that no powerful person can get away with such a crime,” he said.