A man was killed in Uttar Pradesh's Basti after being hit by a BMW, which was being driven allegedly by the son of a Bharatiya Janata Party leader. Outraged with the police's initial response to the high-profile hit-and-run case, the family of Ram Lal Gupta protested on the streets.
The family demanded swift action against the accused in the case. The incident took place near Kartar Talkies.
According to an India Today report, the car belonged to Hani, also known as Azmatullah, the son of local BJP leader Hamidullah.
Gupta's family has claimed that the car was intentionally driven into the victim, who worked as a cook. On Thursday, Gupta went out of home in the afternoon for a short walk after returning from work, said his wife, Gyanti Devi. As he was standing on the roadside, the BMW driver drove towards him intentionally and fatally injured him, the wife alleged.
He was rushed to the district hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival. The family has claimed that Hamidullah was behind the wheel at the time of the accident. Both father and son are on the run.
Gyanti, a mother of four young children said her husband was the sole breadwinner for their family. "Our lives depended on his income," she said. "With him gone, I am uncertain about how to raise our children or secure their future".
Responding to protests by family, police have assured that their complaint had been registered and appropriate legal steps were being taken.
A formal case has been lodged in connection with the matter based on the family's statement, confirmed a police official, adding a thorough investigation into the matter is underway.