Vadodara car crash: 'Rakshit Chaurasiya may have insisted on driving'

VADODARA: CCTV footage gathered as part of the investigation into the accident on Thursday night — which killed a woman and left seven people injured — has revealed that Pranshu Chauhan initially took the driver's seat of his car, but moved to the front passenger seat, apparently at the insistence of the accused, Rakshit Chaurasiya.
CCTV footage shows Chaurasiya got to the house of a friend, Suresh Bharwad, on a scooter at 10.33pm. Chauhan arrived in the car at 10.47pm.
At 11.03pm, Chaurasiya and Chauhan left Bharwad's house. Footage shows Chauhan getting into the driver's seat. Chaurasiya, who was a few steps behind Chauhan, however, then went to the driver's side.
After this, Chauhan is seen shifting to the front passenger seat inside the car itself, without stepping out. Chaurasiya then got into the driver's seat. The then sped towards the Sangam area and eventually slammed into three two-wheelers in Karelibaug.
Rakshit Chaurasiya was arrested on Thursday night following the fatal accident that claimed the life of 37-year-old Himani Patel, while her husband, Purav Patel (40), remains in critical condition at SSG Hospital. Six others were injured in the crash.
The accused was caught by bystanders at the accident site near Amrapali Complex in Karelibaug, and initially.
On Saturday, the police had requested an extension of his custody to further investigate a video filmed at the scene of the accident.
In the video, Chaurasiya was heard shouting “Another Round” along with other comments before being detained by the crowd.
The phrase "Another Round" was later linked to a 2020 Danish film whose plot revolves around characters who believe that maintaining a certain level of alcohol in their blood boosts creativity and confidence. A poster of the film was found in Chaurasiya’s apartment.
On Monday, however, the police did not seek another extension of his custody. Chaurasiya was presented in court, where he was sent to judicial custody and taken to the city's central jail.
Vikas Kewalani, one of the injured persons, described the accused driver as appearing "intoxicated" and said the driver was speeding "for enjoyment."
Kewalani, along with his siblings and neighbors, had gone out for refreshments. While returning, their two-wheeler was hit from behind by a speeding car.
Kewalani demanded strict punishment for the accused stating that people like him would only understand their mistakes when faced with severe consequences. He described how the car struck their vehicle and caused severe injuries to others.
"When I fell, I was still conscious and saw that the car hit another vehicle, sending it flying. The husband and wife inside suffered serious injuries. Such reckless behavior can't be addressed by just imposing fines—strict punishment is needed to teach them a lesson," Kewalani said. He also added that his brother and sister had suffered fractures, and he had fractured his right elbow in the crash.
The police had filed a drink-and-drive case against him, though Chaurasia denied being drunk at the time of the accident. He claimed he had attended a Holika Dahan celebration and was not intoxicated.
(With agency inputs)