New Delhi: The son of a Madhya Pradesh BJP MLA has been booked for allegedly ramming five people with his unnumbered Thar bearing ‘Vidhayak’ on the number plate, with a viral video purportedly showing him blaming the victims for not giving way despite his siren.
The incident happened in the Karera Police Station limits in Shivpuri district around 7.30 am Thursday when Dinesh Lodhi, the son of Pichhore MLA Preetam Lodhi, allegedly hit three people on a motorbike, and two women pedestrians.
Shivpuri Superintendent of Police Rajesh Singh Chandel told ThePrint a case has been registered against Dinesh Lodhi under BNS sections 281 (rash driving or riding) and 125(A) (act endangering life or personal safety).
He said they have seized the vehicle, but Dinesh Lodhi has not been arrested yet.
ThePrint reached out to Dinesh Lodhi through calls and texts, but there was no response. The report will be updated if and when he responds.
After the incident, the injured and the bystanders confronted Lodhi for his “reckless driving”. Videos recorded by those present at the scene showed people telling him that he could have pressed the brakes and controlled the vehicle.
To which he is heard replying, “The vehicle had brakes, but I sounded the siren and horn. But why were the three people on a bike zig-zagging?” He then told the bystanders not to record the video.
One of those hit on the bike was a young boy. He showed his injuries and torn pants to reporters.
A photo of the purported Thar SUV shows it as unnumbered, with the number plate bearing the ruling BJP’s lotus symbol and the word Vidhayak (MLA).
The car’s front windshield carries his father’s name printed in Hindi on a sticker: Preetam Lodhi, MLA, Pichhore.
This is not the first time Dinesh has been booked by police. Earlier in December 2023, within hours of Preetam Lodhi being elected as MLA from Shivpuri’s Pohari constituency, police in Gwalior district registered an FIR against his son for criminal intimidation.
In the instant case, police said the injured persons have alleged that the SUV approached them from behind and first hit their motorcycle, throwing them onto the road, before also hitting the two women. Locals rushed to the spot and shifted all the injured to a nearby hospital.
The injured persons have been identified as Sanjay Parihar, Ashish Parihar, Anshul Parihar, Sita Verma and Poona Soni. They received injuries on their head and limbs. While the three men were going for work, the other two women were just walking on the road.
As per Preetam Lodhi’s affidavit, he has eight criminal cases registered against him, under sections pertaining to promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony, public mischief, attempted murder, among others.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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