8-year-old boy mowed down by SUV driver performing stunts

GHAZIABAD: An 8-year-old boy was killed allegedly by a Scorpio SUV driver who was performing stunts at a wedding reception in Nandgram, Ghaziabad, late Wednesday.

The boy’s family said the child had gone to watch the stunts along with two other boys.

After the locals informed the police about the incident, officers reached the spot and seized the SUV and arrested the driver, Shamsuddin, who is stated to be a resident of Old Seemapuri in Delhi.

Onlookers said the driver was making steep turns at a high speed, besides applying the brakes suddenly in order to lift the front as well as the back portion of the SUV to entertain people.

The boy, Vansh, was the older of two siblings and was resident of Nandgram. His father, Mohan Kumar, an auto-rickshaw driver, said the boy had gone to watch the stunts performed by the driver in a colourfully painted SUV.

The driver was reportedly part of the group that had come to play DJ music at the reception held in Ambedkar Bhawan.

“I was having dinner when my wife asked to me go out and look for Vansh around 10.30pm. A wedding ceremony was on in Ambedkar Bhawan nearby. When I neared the venue, I found a crowd there and some people told me that three boys were knocked down by the SUV. The two boys with Vansh escaped with minor injuries,” Kumar said.

“We then rushed to a nearby hospital where we were told that the boy was taken to another hospital in Kavi Nagar. There, my son was declared dead on arrival. He sustained severe injuries to the head and other parts of the body after he was hit by the SUV at a high speed,” Kumar said.

Jitendra Baliyan, SHO, Sihani Gate police station, said, “The accused driver was arrested. He had arrived at the wedding with a group of people who provided the DJ music at the function.

He was driving the SUV at a high speed and performing stunts. Vansh was taken to a hospital where he was declared dead by doctors.

We have lodged an FIR against the accused after a police complaint was filed by the victim’s family.”

Shamsuddin was booked under IPC sections 304a (causing death by negligence) and 279 (rash driving) of IPC at the Sihani Gate police station.