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Hit-and-run driver gives cops friend's DL to fix him

Last Updated 25 February 2021, 20:46 IST

The horrific hit-and-run accident that resulted in the death of two food delivery boys in the early hours of Tuesday was caused by a motorist driving at a speed of 120 kmph, police said.

And the motorist was none other than the owner of Chevrolet Captiva, who had earlier told the police that he had lent the car to a friend. Not only that, the motorist even gave the police his friend’s driving licence in order to implicate him.

Police, however, learnt the truth after cross-checking with the motorist’s friend and reviewing the CCTV footage.

Here’s what happened on the fateful night:

Bharath S, 24, a resident of Madanayakanahalli, bought takeaway food and liquor from a restaurant around Tuesday midnight and got into his SUV. His friend Sharath, 27, of Channarayapatna, was riding with him.

Bharath soon stepped on the gas as the road was empty and hit a speed of 120 kmph. But when the car reached the Platinum City apartment on BFW Cross Road, off Tumakuru Road, around 1.18 am, it ploughed into a scooter crawling in the middle of the road.

On the scooter were Gowtham M, 21, and Sreekanth, 27, who had just delivered food to a customer in Yeshwantpur and were going home to Manjunath Nagar, Rajajinagar. They worked for an online food ordering and delivery firm.

The crash tossed up the scooter riders on the right side of the road, some 200 metres away. Bharath didn’t stop as if nothing happened. The accident was captured on a CCTV camera on a residential building. Police also found a broken number plate and a few broken parts of the car.

They took these objects to garages on JC Road and got a list of 15 SUVs that matched the description. The RTO records helped them track down the owner of the SUV involved in the accident.

Bharath, who works as a travel agent, confessed that he owns the car but claimed that he had lent it to a friend named Chethan. Police were bewildered.

Actually, right after the accident, Bharath drove to Gangamma Gudi, MS Palya, Jalahalli and other areas in panic. He then called up Chethan and told him he had crashed the car into a road divider. Chethan helped him leave the car at a garage.

Bharath then borrowed Rs 500 from Chethan for food and later attended a wedding. He called up Chethan again and asked for his DL, requesting him to testify as a witness to the accident. Chethan fell for the trap. Bharath gave the police Chethan’s DL and told them he was driving the car that night.

Police questioned Bharath on Wednesday night but suspected something fishy in his statement. They questioned Chethan and later checked the footage of the restaurant where Bharath had bought the takeaway. On Thursday, police arrested both Bharath and Sharath.

“They tried to mislead us,” said Soumyalatha S K, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic, West). Police subjected Bharath to medical examination to ascertain whether he was drunk. The report is awaited, the officer said.

Surprisingly, the duo has been let off on bail.

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(Published 25 February 2021, 19:36 IST)

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