Santosh Kumar Singh Chauhan was carrying a saree for his wife just five hundred metres from his Kanpur home when a speeding Mahindra Thar struck his electric scooter on the evening of November 7.
The collision occurred at approximately 7:30 pm in the Awas Vikas-3 locality of Kalyanpur on the eve of Diwali.
Santosh Singh Chauhan was a 55-year-old resident of Swaraj Nagar in Panki who worked as an LIC housing finance agent. His family includes his wife Sunita, his son Rahul who works as an engineer, and his daughter Sakshi who is employed by a multinational company in Bengaluru.
#WATCH | Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh: Assistant Commissioner of police, Kalyanpur, Dileep Kumar Singh says, "This evening at 7:30 PM, information was received that an accident had occurred. Upon the police's arrival at the scene, it was found that a car had struck a person riding a… pic.twitter.com/hkTyZaEGAY
Eyewitness Rakesh Kumar alleged that the SUV was traveling at high speed and dragged the two-wheeler for twenty-five to thirty metres before striking a roadside railing. Other witnesses estimated the drag distance at nearly twenty metres.
Vinod Kumar, a lawyer who witnessed the accident while riding home with his wife on a motorcycle, stated that the SUV approached from behind at approximately 100 kmph, causing him to swerve out of its path to avoid being struck.
Professor Kailash Chauhan rushed outside after hearing a loud crash and stated that two women and a man were travelling in the Thar, with one of the women behind the wheel. Additional bystanders reported that the occupants appeared intoxicated and that individuals arriving in a subsequent vehicle to help them escape claimed to be relatives of a minister while threatening those gathered at the scene.
The victim’s son, Rahul Chauhan, said that his father had left their Swaraj Nagar residence in Panki shortly before the accident and told family members, I will be back shortly.
Rahul later broke down in tears after arriving at the scene and identifying his father’s body.
Contact has been established with the family of the victim. A case is being registered, and further legal action is being taken.
Dileep Kumar Singh, Assistant Commissioner of Police
Assistant Commissioner of Police Dileep Kumar Singh confirmed that police had taken possession of the damaged SUV, arranged for a post-mortem examination of the victim’s body, and launched an investigation using nearby CCTV footage to establish the route taken by the fleeing individuals.
Kanpur West Deputy Commissioner of Police Qasim Abidi stated that investigators secured the vehicle at the scene and launched a search for the occupants, who allegedly abandoned the Thar and fled in another car that arrived shortly after the collision.
Woman Thar Driver Rams Scooter, Kills Man In Kanpur On Diwali Eve, Flees https://t.co/SqSGp35u5D pic.twitter.com/c2uEAXeZBD
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A 55-year-old man was killed after a speeding Mahindra Thar, allegedly driven by a woman, rammed into his electric scooter in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur on Saturday night, a day before Diwali. According to the report, eyewitnesses said two women were travelling in the SUV at the time… pic.twitter.com/sYgeRTMKri
A Diwali celebration turned into a heartbreaking tragedy in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur when a 55-year-old man, Santosh Kumar Singh Chauhan, was k!lled after a speeding Thar hit his electric scooter on Saturday evening. The victim was reportedly returning home with a saree for his… pic.twitter.com/4GJY9QwzI3
#BREAKING | Kanpur: A 55-year-old scooter rider was killed after being run over by a speeding Thar allegedly driven by a woman. The victim died on the spot, police said. NDTV's @AjayDindian joins @reetksahni, with more details #Kanpur #RoadAccident pic.twitter.com/cO5HpPQWLZ