Five killed as late SP leader’s son rams car into night shelter

THOSE KILLED WERE LABOURERS WHO HAD COME TO LUCKNOW FROM BACKWARD REGIONS OF NANPARA IN BEHRAICH DISTRICT

LUCKNOW: Five pavement dwellers were killed while four others were critically injured when a speeding car, allegedly being driven by the son of a deceased Samajwadi Party MLA, rammed into a tent that served as a night shelter for homeless in winters in Dalibagh locality early Sunday morning.

Those killed were labourers who had come to to Lucknow from backward regions of Nanpara of Behraich district, nearly 150 kilometers northeast of the state capital. Police authorities have announced ex-gratia of `2 lakh for families of the deceased and `50,000 for those critically injured.

Two drunken young men, Ayush Rawat and Nikhil Arora, who were in the car, were arrested from the spot. Ayush is the son of Ashok Rawat, late SP MLA from Malihabad assembly while Nikhil’s father Puneet Arora is a businessman. Police have booked the duo under IPC sections 304 for unintentional murder (culpable homicide), 338 for causing grievous hurt by act of endangering life or personal safety of others and 279 for endangering human lives by reckless driving.

The incident took place when the two were returning to their homes around 1:35 am from a party at a friend’s place. Circle Officer of Hazratganj, Ashok Verma said Ayush confessed that he was under the influence of alcohol. He said Ayush lost his control while approaching the night shelter and rammed into it.

Two eyewitnesses, Raju and Tikaram, told the police that the car entered the night shelter while coming from Madan Mohan Malviya Marg turn and turned around after hitting the rear boundary wall of Butler Palace.

They said the youths tried to run away but they were nabbed by other people sleeping in the tent and later handed over to police.

The eyewitnesses said they with help of other pavement dwellers pulled out the inured people from under the car. Police rushed the victims to the city’s civil hospital where four were declared brought dead. Five others injured were rushed to KGMU’s trauma centre where one of them succumbed to his injuries on later in the morning.