A 20-year-old man was arrested after allegedly ramming his car into people who had stopped to help an accident victim on Puri bypass road in Bhubaneswar, police said. The incident took place around 7.30 am on October 12 near SR Valley Chhaka under the jurisdiction of Badagada police station.
According to the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissionerate Police, the accused, identified as Soumya Ranjan Rath, first allegedly hit a person standing by the roadside before driving towards Keshura Chhaka. Ratikanta Singh, who was travelling on a motorcycle with his wife, Annapurna Singh, stopped along with other passersby to arrange medical assistance for the injured person, police said.
Police said Rath then allegedly returned from the opposite direction at high speed and rammed into Singh, his wife and others gathered at the spot. The car reportedly stalled while he was attempting to turn it around, allowing people present at the scene to apprehend him.
The incident began with a separate collision involving Rath, according to the police release. The investigation allegedly found that he had been involved in a vehicle collision with the owner and staff of a roadside dhaba before the Puri bypass incident. Police did not provide further details about the condition of those involved in the earlier collision in the information supplied.
The latest case has also brought attention to an earlier case involving the accused. Police said Rath had allegedly caused a similar intentional accident around three months ago near Shastri Nagar Chhaka, under Kharavela Nagar police station limits. One person died in that incident, and Rath was arrested before subsequently being released on bail, police said.
Rath was arrested on October 12 and produced before a court. Five criminal cases, including the latest case, are registered against him, according to police. Four of the cases are at Badagada police station, while one is registered at Kharavela Nagar police station.
Police have seized the car allegedly used in the incident, along with three other vehicles damaged in the reported collisions. The seizures form part of the investigation into the cases registered against Rath. The supplied police account did not specify the charges filed or the court’s directions after his production.
The case also highlights the risks faced by people who stop on busy roads to assist crash victims. In this incident, those attempting to arrange medical help became victims of a second collision, according to the police account. Further action will depend on the investigation and court proceedings.
