7 Hislop students die in Amravati Road car crash

NAGPUR: A joyride turned into a tragedy for eight Hislop college students when seven of them were killed as the car they were travelling in lost control and rammed into a parked trailer near Highland Park, around 21 km away from city, on Amravati road. The mishap occurred at about 3.15 pm.
Hislop College confirmed only four of the dead were its students while victims’ kin said all were from same college.College principal Dipti Christian said the tragedy had left entire Hislop family shocked and in mourning.
They were travelling in Maruti Ertiga belonging to family of one of the victims, Vishal Rathwani. Police quoting witnesses said the car was travelling at a very high speed when the driver appeared to have lost control and hit the road divider. This made the car swerve and ram into a trailer parked on the roadside from behind. The driver of the trailer had gone for lunch at the time. The friends were supposed to enjoy a birthday party before which they planned a spin in Vishal’s car.
The deceased have been identified as Vishal Rathwani (21, BCom 2nd year), Divya Paku (21, BCA 1st year), Satyanand Singh (20, BCCA 2nd year), Dhiraj Pathade (20, Bcom 2nd year), Nisha Nikam (21, BA 2nd year), Maitrey Awale (22, BMS 2nd year) and Evana Parveen Khan (22, Bsc 2nd year). Shahbaz Zafar Alwi (22, Bcom 2nd year) is the sole survivor. Evana is daughter of an Army officer posted in Assam while Nisha is daughter of a police inspector posted in city crime branch.
Unconfirmed reports said there was a liquor bottle and cigarette packet in the vehicle but it’s not known if any of occupants had consumed them.
The mangled car had to be pulled out from under the trailer where it had got stuck. Eyewitness Harpal Singh, also one of the rescuers, asked his driver to move the trailer so the car could be retrieved. “We had to use iron rods to break the car’s door open,” he said. “Some of them (victims) were still breathing at the time,” he said.
Harpal also said all occupants had severe head injuries except Shahbaz. Shahbaz, being treated at a private hospital, was earlier driving the car. Vishal took up from him at Gondkhairi toll naka from where they decided to return. Nisha’s father Rajendra is one of the most prominent PIs in the city police, having earlier served in Mumbai crime branch. Nikams were supposed to leave for Mumbai for a break shortly.
Dhiraj, a resident of Vaibhav Nagar at Wadi, was elder son of his parents. He has a younger sister in Std XI. A family member told TOI, “He was very close to his mother. The family was building a new home. His father was very hopeful about his career,” she said. “Dhiraj had left home at 11am. By afternoon his friends came home. They informed family about the accident but didn’t reveal about his death.”
Vishal had dropped his mother and aunt for an engagement ceremony at Gittikhadan. He was the elder of two siblings having a younger sister. His father runs a Security agency. Vishal’s aunt told TOI, “We tried to call him and sent many messaged but in vain.” she said.
Wadi police have registered an offence against the parked trailer. “Post mortem would be conducted on Saturday, he said.