Pune Hit And Run: A 21-year-old youth was killed after a speeding Mercedes rammed into his scooter in Maharashtra's Pune on Monday. The accident took place at Nitin Junction in Thane, following which the driver of the luxury car fled the scene, police said.
The deceased was identified as 21-year-old Darshan Shashidhar Hegde, while the driver of the Mercedes was identified as 27-year-old Abhijeet Sureshbabu Nair, who remains at large. The accused have been booked under sections 106(2) (causing death by rash and negligent driving), 281 (rash driving), and 125 (b) (causing grievous hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act and a manhunt has been launched to apprehend him.
The police are currently examining the CCTV footage installed in the area and have started an investigation into the case.
Hegde had reportedly stepped out to buy food around 1.50 am on Monday after a day-long fast on account of Sankashti Chaturthi. He had borrowed his brother Shashank's company-provided two-wheeler. While he was returning home via the Mumbai-Nashik highway, the speeding Mercedes hit Hegde's scooter from behind, leaving the victim in a pool of blood. He was rushed to a private hospital with severe injuries to his head and limbs, but he later succumbed to his injuries.
After Hegde didn’t return home for over an hour, his brother tried contacting him, but could not. Later the Naupada police called him to inform him about the accident. Dishit Jagdish Thakkar, Shashank Hegde’s employer who owned the two-wheeler Darshan was riding, filed a complaint with the police, after which a case was registered.
As per a report by India Today, the deceased was pursuing a BSc course and aspired to study engineering, according to his family. The report quoted his friend, Chandrakant Maime, saying, “We were completely disturbed when we saw him in the hospital. I’ve known him since childhood and witnessed how well he rode. Eyewitnesses said the car was travelling at high speed during the collision. We are demanding the immediate arrest of the accused.”