Noida: A 24-year-old man was crushed under the wheels of an SUV on Monday night when he was returning home from a café where he worked. The
accident took place around 12.40am in Sector 39 area.
The family of Harendra Anuragi, who died on the spot, has alleged that they saw beer cans near the car and a crate of beer bottles inside, which suggested that the driver had been drunk.
They also claimed that though police had initially agreed that the accused was drunk, they later told them he wasn’t, citing medical reports. The relatives were also not allowed to see the accused, they alleged.
Harendra, who was from Chhatarpur in MP, stayed in a rented house in Sector 48. He would cycle back home from The Flying Dutchman, the café where he worked.
The accused has been identified as one Nishesh Singhal, a resident of Delhi’s Vivek Vihar. He was driving an Ecosport (DL10CN-1799) on Monday night when he crashed into Harendra from behind. His vehicle hit a divider and landed on its side.
Harendra’s brother Rajjan said he had clicked a picture of beer cans lying on the accident spot. “I reached there around 2.30am and found beer bottles lying on the spot. I clicked a photo. There was also a crate of beer bottles. We wanted to see the accused driver, but the police did not allow us. We have been told his name is Nishesh Singhal,” he told TOI. Rajjan also shared a picture of a beer can he claimed to have clicked at the spot. Sources said Nishesh did independent video shoots.
Rajjan alleged that though the cops at Sector 39 police station noted down initially that the accused was drunk, they later ruled it out. The FIR that was eventually lodged was under IPC sections 279 (rash driving), 304A (death due to negligence) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees).
Additional DCP (Noida) Ranvijay Singh said no beer bottles were recovered from the spot and a medical examination of the accused confirmed he hadn’t had liquor. “He was produced in court and given bail. He is now undergoing a CT scan,” he added.
Harendra is survived by his wife, who is pregnant. “My brother’s foot was dismembered and he suffered multiple injuries on the hand, head and other parts of the body. He could not be recognised,” Rajjan said.