BENGALURU: What began as a festive gathering turned into a nightmare in Electronics City after a 25-year-old cook was dragged beneath a car for nearly 150 metres following a heated road rage dispute.Police have taken three accused into custody after launching a manhunt in connection with the fatal hit-and-run. However, the owner of the car, who was with the other accused persons at the time of the incident, is at large.The accused are Ajay Rabidas (26), Sajal Namasudra (19) and Bijon Ray (27), all residents of Basapur and from Assam. They work as drivers for cabs and trucks. The car owner, Shyam Khoar, also from Assam, is yet to be traced. Police investigations revealed that it was Ajay Rabidas who drove the car, mowing the victim.All the accused claimed before the cops that they were heavily intoxicated following the alcohol party and never realised what they were doing.The victim, identified as Ranjit Kumar Sahu, worked as a cook at a paying guest (PG) accommodation in BTM Layout. Sahu had travelled to Electronics City to celebrate the Dussehra festival with his friends.According to the complaint filed by Sahu’s friend, Nitish Kumar Mukhiya, the incident unfolded around 1:50 am on Oct 21. Mukhiya and a group of friends were crossing the main road near Pragathipura, close to Electronics City, when a white Maruti Swift Dzire driven at high speed narrowly missed hitting them.Mukhiya waved his hand and used sign language to signal the driver to slow down and query the reckless driving. Taking offence at the gesture, the driver stopped the vehicle further down the road, made an abrupt U-turn, and returned to the spot. Four men alighted from the car, initiating a heated altercation.Sensing trouble as the argument intensified, Mukhiya phoned Sahu, who was resting at Mukhiya’s residence about 400 metres away. Sahu quickly reached the spot, and the confrontational exchange escalated into a physical clash between both groups.As the situation deteriorated, the car occupants decided to flee and started the engine. Sahu was standing directly in front of the vehicle. Despite seeing him, the driver accelerated forward. Sahu became trapped beneath the front portion of the car and was dragged along the road for approximately 150 metres.The vehicle eventually came to a halt. The occupants stepped out, pulled the severely injured Sahu from under the car, dumped him near the service road, and fled the scene. Sahu, who sustained critical head, chest, and bodily injuries, was rushed to a private hospital in Madiwala. However, he succumbed to his injuries during treatment.Deputy commissioner of police, Electronics City, M Narayana said ground-level policing helped to crack the case. “The CCTV footage we collected from the place of incident did not clearly show the car in detail. We interacted with local residents, in particular those who run all-night eateries on pavements; these interactions helped in identifying the vehicle and reaching the suspects. Finally, technical assistance also helped in solving the case,” he said.
