One killed as Class 12 student runs over homeless in Delhi

DELHI: Police has charged 18-year-old Samarth Chugh with culpable homicide for allegedly killing a homeless man by running a car over him on Thursday morning in north Delhi. Three others were injured in the accident reported at 5.45 am.

A senior police officer said that Chugh, a Class 12 student of a prominent school at Mathura Road, allegedly dragged two of the four men under the i20 car and moved it back and forth over them in a bid to flee.

“He was driving at more than 100 kmph and did not even have a licence. Prime facie, it appears that the car ran over four men sleeping on the pavement. Two of them were dragged under the wheel.

He drove over them killing one and critically injuring the other,” said a police officer.

The 18-year-old was caught on the spot by a police patrol staff while two other students in the car – Ujjwal Goyal and Bhawya Rajpal (both adults according to their school certificate) – fled from there. All three of them were in tracksuits. Chugh told the police that they were going to school.

A case under sections 304, 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), and 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way) of IPC has been registered against Chugh, who as per his school certificate, turned 18 in March this year.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the car that Chugh was allegedly driving belonged to his friend Ujjwal’s father. He lost control due to high speed while negotiating a right turn and the car climbed onto to a pavement at Kashmere Gate underpass where at least six people were sleeping.

“Four of them came under the car. Two of them were still under the wheel when the car came back on the road. They were dragged further on the road for some ten meters. The vehicle stopped only when it developed a fault and its front right tyre punctured,” said the officer.

“Chugh has told us that he had stayed back at Ujjwal’s home for studies. He has to appear for an exam on April 29,” he added.

CHUGH ALLEGEDLY DRAGGED TWO OF THE FOUR MEN UNDER THE CAR AND MOVED IT BACK AND FORTH OVER THEM IN A BID TO FLEE