Car mows down Jain ‘sadhvis’; 1 killed, 2 seriously would in hit-and-run

Bhopal: A Jain ‘sadhvi (ascetic)’ was killed and two critically wounded after a speeding car allegedly mowed them down while they were walking in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa district early Wednesday. The vehicle was intercepted near Jabalpur following a nearly 270km chase, police said.

According to police, the sadhvis, all in their 40s, were travelling on foot as part of a religious journey. They were accompanied by three local followers who alerted police and helped identify the fleeing vehicle.

One of the sadhvis, Shruti Mati Mata, a native of Sagar district, died on the spot due to severe injuries. She was travelling to Rewa from Satna on a religious sojourn. The injured were identified as Upsamiti Mata, a resident of Tamil Nadu, and Arika Mata from Jabalpur. They were rushed to hospital with serious injuries, where one of them was put on ventilator support.

SP Ghurkaran Singh said, “The family in the car was returning from Balrampur in UP to Nagpur. However, instead of stopping after the accident, they fled.”

The accident sparked anger among members of the Jain community, who gathered at the spot demanding strict action against the accused. Police have registered a case against the driver under Section 105 of BNS.