Nagpur: After Pune, another drunken driver runs over 17 people sleeping on footpath, 2 dead

In a tragic incident near the Dighori toll plaza in Nagpur, a family belonging to the Bagadiya tribe of Rajasthan faced a horrific fate. A woman and a man lost their lives, and 15 others were injured when a car carrying six friends, allegedly drunk after partying at a dhaba, drove onto the footpath where they were sleeping. The incident occurred shortly before midnight on Sunday.

The driver, Bhushan Lanjewar, a qualified fire engineer, was allegedly driving a Hyundai Verna under the influence. His friends, all engineering students or graduates, were identified as Vansh Zade, Sanmay Patrikar, Atharva Vanayat, Atharva Mogre, and Hrushikesh Choubey. They were arrested and charged under IPC Section 304 (II) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and other sections. The group was remanded in police custody for two days, ending June 19.

Eyewitnesses reported that Lanjewar allegedly drove the vehicle back and forth over the sleeping family while attempting to escape. Kavita Bagadiya, who lost her husband, recounted the horror: "The car drove over us and reversed, crushing us again, before speeding away."


The deceased were identified as Kantibai Bagadiya, 42, and Sitaram Bagadiya, 30. Seven of the injured are in critical condition in a hospital, while eight others were discharged after preliminary treatment. Among the injured family members are Sitaram's wife Kavita and their daughters - Haseena, 4, and Sakina, 2. Other injured family members include 10-year-old Bhusya, Kavita, 32, Parsanbai, 22, Parbai, 18, Balku, 8, Golu, 16, and Hanuman, 32.

Fortunately, some of the 30 Bagadiya community members escaped unhurt as they were sleeping a short distance away. Two police officers narrowly avoided being run over while trying to intercept the speeding car near the toll plaza.

Senior inspector Vijay Dighe of Wathoda police station stated that Lanjewar and his friends were intoxicated. Blood samples of all six have been sent to the regional forensic science laboratory for further analysis.

According to police, the youths were celebrating Zade's birthday, drinking at a dhaba in Hudkeshwar before embarking on a joyride on the outskirts of Nagpur.

Inspector Dighe mentioned that the driver was tracked down using CCTV footage and the vehicle's registration number. Police have impounded the car for inspection by RTO experts. However, car owner Saurabh Kadukar has not been charged. "We asked for five days' police remand (for the arrested six), but the court granted us two days," Dighe said.

(With inputs from TOI)