A 35-year-old passenger on a Rapido motorcycle was killed after a Range Rover allegedly struck the bike near Shilaj Circle in Ahmedabad and the driver fled the scene, police said. The accused has been identified as Raghavendra Kushwaha, the nephew of Bapunagar BJP MLA Dineshsinh Kushwaha, and he was arrested and later released on bail, according to the reports.

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The deceased was Harshadkumar Purbia, originally from Dhrangadhra in Surendranagar district and living in Ahmedabad's Shastrinagar area. The rider, Pradeep Dadwal, a 50-year-old security guard who also works as a Rapido rider, was taking Purbia from Ghatlodia to his workplace in Shilaj when the collision took place near the Gurukrupa Traders crossroads. Purbia was taken to Sola Civil Hospital and then to Marengo CIMS Hospital, where he died of his injuries. Dadwal was injured and later filed a complaint at Bopal police station.

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Deputy Superintendent of Police (Sanand Division) Nilam Goswami said Bopal police traced the vehicle through CCTV footage and its registration number, seized the Range Rover, and arrested Kushwaha. Reports say the vehicle was registered in his mother's name, and that he was released on bail because the offences he was booked for carry a maximum prison term of less than seven years. Police also issued him a notice under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, requiring him to appear for questioning when arrest is not considered necessary.

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Police said they had no evidence so far that Kushwaha was drunk. The reports do not establish the vehicle's speed, the precise traffic conditions, or whether any road-design factor contributed to the collision, and no statement from the accused, his legal representatives, the deceased man's family or the MLA was included in the reports. The case is an allegation at this stage, and the investigation by Bopal police remains under way.

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Reports differ on the exact day of the crash: Hindustan Times reported that the collision happened at about 6.45 am on Wednesday, November 11, while Gujarat Samachar placed it early on Friday, November 13, at around 7 am. The arrest and bail were reported on Friday, November 13.

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The incident has raised questions about road safety for app-based two-wheeler riders on Ahmedabad's expanding peripheral roads, where arterial junctions connect residential areas, commercial properties and high-speed vehicle movement.

Source: IANS via AsiaPost