Nagpur Audi crash: Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule's son Sanket may be booked if alcohol shows up in driver’s FSL report

NAGPUR: In a sharp U-turn after a political storm over the AudiQ8 hit-and-run in Nagpur, police are likely to make state BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule's son, Sanket, a co-accused in the case. Top sources confirmed the forensic report on alcohol content in blood samples of Sanket's friends, Arjun Haore and Ronit Chintamwar, is awaited, and will determine whether police decide to book Sanket. The police, however, are still unsure on the legal provisions to be invoked against Sanket, who was not driving the car, but had allowed his drunk friend to sit behind the wheel.

Sanket and his friends had walked out of a bar and restaurant in upscale Dharampeth after paying a bill of Rs 3,280, shortly after Sunday midnight, before Sanket asked his friend Haore to drive his brand new AudiQ8 worth Rs 1.2 crore. Haore recklessly drove the car with Sanket beside him and Ronit Chintamwar in the rear seat, before crashing into a car of Press Club employee Jeetendra Sonkamble, triggering a pileup.

A section in the police feels Sanket should be made a co-accused for handing over his car keys to a drunk Haore. This is a big turnaround from their earlier stand on stiff legal hurdles in booking Sanket since he was not driving the Audi and there was no evidence on his alcohol intake. Earlier, police had claimed that since Haore was an adult with a valid licence, Sanket was in the right to hand over the car keys to him.

The current police stand follows mounting socio-political pressure on the force for sparing the son of an influential political leader, especially after the visit of Sena UBT leader Sushma Andhare. "We will have to consult legal teams and law officers to guide us on BNS sections to book Sanket, if Haore's blood report showed excess alcohol content," he said.

Haore and Chintamwar were found under the influence of liquor by doctors at Mayo Hospital, where they were taken for medical examination by police early Monday after rescuing them from a mob at Timki near Mominpura.

As per a senior police official, the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSL) report will be stronger evidence than a preliminary examination by doctors, who merely record observations based on physical scrutiny and not blood samples. "The permissible alcohol limit in blood is 30mg in 100 ml of blood, as per evidence law. If the report shows excess alcohol content, we would reconsider Sanket's culpability," said the senior official.

After Sena UBT leader's Sushma Andhare's stormy visit to Nagpur, Zonal DCP Rahul Madane said police were not under any pressure, but a fair probe is underway. "We conducted a medical examination on two persons in custody and sent their blood samples to the forensic lab," he said, adding police are probing the case from every angle. "We have collected a data recording device of CCTV camera as footage was unavailable at the upscale bar and restaurant where the four friends (Sanket, Haore, Chintamwar and Siddharth) had dined," said Madane, adding footage from 200-odd CCTV cameras is being checked for evidence.