Rally accident: Gill, navigator booked, 2 officials removed
BARMER:Arjun awardee race car driver and three-time Asia Pacific Rally Championship winner Gaurav Gill and his co-driver were on Sunday booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder for the deaths of three people in a crash that took place during a rally event in Rajasthan’s Barmer on Saturday, the police said.
The state government on Sunday also removed Barmer district collector and superintendent of police, and ordered an investigation into the accident, according to a statement. Officials, who did not wish to be identified, said the two officers were removed for “inept handling” of the case.
A case was registered at Samdari police station against Gill and his co-driver/navigator Musa Sheriff under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Five companies involved in organising and sponsoring the rally event — Jodhpur leg of the National Rally Championships — were also named in the FIR, the police said.
On Saturday, relatives of the victims and other locals reportedly refused to move the bodies from the crash site near Ranideshipura village, 150 km from Barmer, as a means of protest but they relented on Sunday after talks with district officials, additional superintendent of
police (Barmer) Khinv Singh Bhati said.
The deceased Narendra (42), his wife Pushpa (40), and their 14-year-old son Jitendra were killed on the spot, police said. Narendra’s eldest son, 21-yearold Rahul Bhati filed the complaint alleging that two other race cars behind the lead vehicle also crashed into the trio, who were on a motorcycle, killing them on the spot.
The complaint said that the cars were allegedly part of a race that was organised without informing nearby villagers and proper safety measures were not ensured. The accused allegedly fled the spot after the crash, they alleged.
ASP Bhati said that a case has been lodged based on Rahul’s complaint and police have started an investigation.
Divisional commissioner (Barmer) was asked to submit a report on the incident within seven days to the state home ministry, officials said.
Fearing clashes, the administration deployed policemen from three police stations in the area where the accident took place. Additional superintendent of police of Balotra Ratanlal Bhargav said a meeting was held in the evening between the protesters, company representative and district authorities to reach an agreement over the demands of the protesters. Superintendent of police Shivraj Meena said that adequate measures were adopted for the rally. News agency PTI quoted an unnamed organiser as saying that Gill had sustained injuries in the accident and was under observation. However, police on Sunday said they had no information on his whereabouts. Interior roads of various villages in Barmer were used for the rally. Gill was the first motorsport driver to be conferred the Arjuna award earlier this year. The rally was called off following the incident, the PTI report said.