Man involved in Hyderabad hit-and-run case was drunk, says police
Hyderabad, Jan 25: The man who was driving the car involved in Wednesday's hit-and-run, which claimed the life of a bouncer, was drunk and returning after throwing a party for his friends on landing a job, Hyderabad police said on Thursday.
Police have arrested Rithwik Reddy and four friends who were seated in the car, which hit a motorbike in Jubilee Hills, killing the bouncer and injuring his colleague who were returning home from their duty at a hotel.
The accident, which occurred around 5 a.m. on Wednesday, claimed the life of Tarak Ram, 30, and injured Raju.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Hari Prasad told media persons that Rithwik Reddy was drunk at the time of the accident.
Police also arrested four others travelling with him, including a woman, and identified them as Vaishnavi, P. Lokeshwar Rao, B. Abhilasha, and Aniket Reddy. .
The police official said that since the others knew that he was drunk and encouraged him to drive at a high speed, they have also been named as accused.
Rithwik Reddy was booked under Indian Penal Code's Section 304 (II) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and the others were booked under IPC's Section 337 (causing hurt by act) and 187 of Motor Vehicle Act.
The police said Rithwik Reddy, who had recently got a job in Amazon, had taken out his friends for a treat on Tuesday night. They went to various places in the city and had food and liquor. He also took them to show the Amazon office building.
After hitting the motorbike, they went in the same car to his friend Suresh Reddy’s house in Peerzadiguda. After a couple of hours, they came to the scene in another vehicle and saw policemen there. They later left for their respective places.
Meanwhile, police identified the car with the help of CCTV footage and took up the investigation on the basis of a complaint lodged by the victim’s family.
The incident had occurred near Peddamma temple in upscale Jubilee Hills. Tarak Ram, who sustained head injuries, died on the spot while another bouncer Raju was critically injured. He was shifted to a hospital.
The family of Tarak Ram on Wednesday night staged a protest along with his dead body at Jubilee Hills police station, demanding arrest of those involved. A resident of Sikh Village in Secunderabad, Tarak Ram had married two years ago and has a seven-month-old child. He was the sole breadwinner for the family including his widowed mother.