New Delhi: The Delhi Police Friday arrested a 27-year-old law student and also booked his father, a former civil servant, in connection with a hit-and-run case in the national capital’s Greater Kailash-1 locality three days ago, which left a businessman critically injured.
The main accused, identified as Raj Sunderam, was driving, while his father, identified as Pandyan Kalyan Sunderam, a former joint secretary in the petroleum ministry, was present in the vehicle, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South Delhi) Benita Mary Jaiker told ThePrint. The victim, businessman Anand Vijay Mandelia, is currently on ventilator support after undergoing surgery for multiple head injuries, his family said.
Raj has been arrested under attempt to murder and other charges. An earlier FIR lodged at GK-1 police station Wednesday, on the basis of a complaint by an eye witness, was updated to reflect these charges.
“Raj Sunderam was driving the vehicle and his father was present in the offending vehicle…Pandyan Kalyan Sunderam, [who] retired as a joint secretary in the petroleum ministry, was bound down under IPC section 212 (harbouring offender) and released as per law,” DCP Jaiker said.
“During investigation, facts as mentioned in the FIR including dragging of the victim on the bonnet of car, statements of witnesses, conduct of the accused post the incident, emerged. IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder), 308 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), and 212 (harbouring offender) have been further added to the FIR against the accused,” she added.
According to the police, Raj, who is pursuing law from a reputed private university, was arrested Friday from outside Le Méridien hotel in Gurugram. “The father and son had left the house Tuesday evening. Based on technical surveillance and investigation, they were located,” a senior police officer who did not wish to be named told ThePrint.
“CCTV footage showed that the accused, Raj, dragged the victim on the new Volkswagen’s bonnet for nearly 200 metres before fleeing the spot… The offending vehicle involved in the road accident was identified, seized and taken into police possession. It was parked in the accused’s rented house in GK-1,” the officer added.
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Was warned against speeding, say victim’s kin
At around 5.15 pm Tuesday, Mandelia was hit by a speeding Volkswagen, allegedly driven by Raj.
The initial FIR was lodged Wednesday under IPC sections 279 (rash driving) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others).
“Anand Mandelia came out of his house in GK-1 to the main road for a stroll. I saw a yellow car, the driver came towards Ikhaya hotel, in a high speed, zig-zag manner, and hit Mandelia and he fell on the car’s bonnet. The driver didn’t stop, and dragged the victim…and then dropped him off and fled from the spot (sic),” it quoted the complainant, an eyewitness, as saying.
A relative of the Mandelia, who did not wish to be named, told ThePrint that the main accused had been warned by someone in the locality to drive carefully just a day before the hit-and-run.
“When Anand tried to stop him and tell him the same Tuesday, he hit him (Anand) in retaliation, dragged him on the bonnet and dropped him, and then fled from the spot,” the relative added.
About the condition of the victim, the relative further said: “He is on ventilator support. He had undergone a surgery for his head injuries. We can’t say that he is out of danger yet.”
“His wife and children are in shock. This was clearly an attempt to murder. Eyewitnesses, CCTV footage, everything shows how the boy dragged him on the car’s bonnet,” the relative said, adding that Mandelia has two children — a 6-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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