Drunk youth in SUV rams into car, crushes friend after party brawl

MUMABI: A birthday party turned into a bloody revenge drama earlier this week, with a drunk youth accused of wilfully crushing his friend to death with his SUV at Talasari, about 142km north of the city in Palghar district.


On Monday at around 5.45pm, Nimesh Tanna, 24, and Pratik Patel, 25, both children of Vapi businessmen, met up with a group of friends, all in their early twenties, to celebrate a birthday. They went to Mango Leaf Resort near Acchad Check Post. Since Gujarat is a dry state, many residents drive to the Maharashtra border at Talasari for a few drinks.

The police complaint says a fight broke out over Nimesh’s girlfriend, an MBA student, and Nimesh and Pratik brawled. Peace was restored by the other friends, but Nimesh waited on the highway on their way back, and rammed his Honda SUV into Pratik’s car. He trapped Pratik, who was trying to get out of his

Suzuki

Brezza, behind the door, crushed him and fled.

Nimesh, his builder father Ashok, and his mother are missing. So is his girlfriend. Nimesh helps his father in the construction business and is known for his rash driving in his locality, said Talasari inspector Kailash Barve.

Pratik was the son of a grocery shop owner and also helped his father in his business. He was accompanied by

Paramjeet Singh

and

Hemant

Vora.

Nimesh and the woman have been booked under IPC sections 302 (murder) and 34 (common intention), and sections of the Motor Vehicle Act. The police said they have obtained CCTV images from the incident spot near a resort to establish the crime. Nimesh has also been captured on toll plaza CCTVs leaving for Vapi.

In the complaint, a youth says the friends were joking around, when some jeered at Nimesh and his girlfriend. Nimesh and Pratik got into fisticuffs, but the others intervened. Around 8pm, the party folded up. As the friends were getting into their cars, Nimesh got out of his car with a bat and charged at Pratik. Again the friends intervened, and they all dispersed.

Nimesh left first with his girlfriend. Pratik, Hemant and

Paramjeet

started after him, and saw Nimesh’s car waiting near

Hotel Sahyadri

, a little down the highway towards Vapi. Before Pratik could react, Nimesh reversed his SUV and slammed into Pratik’s car. Pratik threw open the driver’s door and tried to get off, when Nimesh charged again at the door and mowed him down. Paramjeet and Hemant rushed to help Pratik, but he was dead.

In the attack, Nimesh also brushed past a two-wheeler and a bicycle rider, both of whom escaped with minor bruises.