Nagpur Audi drunk-and-drive case: BJP chief's son not driving, claim police

Nagpur (Maharashtra), Sep 10 (IANS) Nagpur Deputy Commissioner of Police Rahul Madane on Tuesday said that contrary to the claims, state Bharatiya Janata Party President Chandrashekhar Bawankule's son Sanket was not driving the ill-fated Audi which rammed into several vehicles and injured at least two persons.

DCP Madane told mediapersons that the police have collected the blood samples of Sanket Bawankule and the driver Arjun Haware – who has been arrested - and sent them for analysis.

From preliminary investigations, it appears that Sanket Bawankule was reportedly inebriated but that will be confirmed after the medical reports are received, he said.

The state BJP chief, when confronted by the media late on Monday, admitted that the Audi was registered in his son's name, and demanded stringent action in the matter, adding that the law should be equal for all.

According to sequences of events and police probe, the pile-up crash occurred around 12.35 a.m. on Monday, when the Audi with 5 occupants, including Sanket Bawankule was speeding along the Ramdaspeth area.

As per the CCTV footage, the Audi rammed into the car of one Jitendra Sonkamble, who later lodged a police complaint, then banged into a two-wheeler injuring two persons riding on it, crashed into several other vehicles before grinding to a halt a short distance away.

The police said that the car occupants were returning after partying at a bar in the Dharampeth area of the city when the tragedy occurred.

The incident stirred up a huge political brawl with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders like Sanjay Raut, Atul Londhe, and Sushma Andhare, accusing the MahaYuti government of going softly in the case as the son of the state BJP chief was involved.

Congress’ Chief Spokesperson Londhe alleged that the number plate of the car was removed and kept inside the vehicle, medical tests were not carried out and there was a need to find out where Sanket Bawankule was soon after the accident.

"Is the life of a common person worth less compared with a politician's family member...? Some other persons who were knocked down are too scared to lodge a police complaint and the police must book all those guilty,” demanded Londhe.

Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Raut and Andhare alleged that the state Home Department and the Nagpur Police are making all efforts to "save" the culprits in the accident, and the law and order in the state will not improve till BJP's Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and Director-General of Police Rashmi Shukla remain at the helm.

Raut said that Sanket was driving, but after the crash, he exchanged seats with his driver (Haware), Andhare contended that the police were trying to "dilute" the case and both demanded stringent action in the matter.