Gujarat accident: BJP allege MLA's son-in-law was drunk, Congress denies

The war of words broke out between the BJP and Congress over the accident in the Anand district in which six persons were killed.

The accident happened on Thursday night. The BJP alleged that the accused was drunk when at the time of accident, and the accused's father-in-law, who is a sitting Congress MLA, Poonambhai Parmar, was trying to protect him.

Parmar, however, claimed that his son-in-law, Ketan Padhiyar, does not drink alcohol. The Congress MLA said, "The political opponents were unnecessarily creating issues out of nothing just to tarnish my political image."

He said Padhiyar too was injured in the accident and was admitted to a private hospital. Parmar said they will fully cooperate with the police in the investigation.

Anand Lok Sabha member Mitesh Patel while speaking to IANS alleged, "Not only, even the eyewitnesses of the accident, the local villagers, were stating that Ketan Padhiyar was drunk at the time of accident. The police have collected enough evidence from his car suggesting that the accused had drunk alcohol, police have taken his blood sample for alcohol test and FSL report will reveal everything."

Patel has alleged even if the Congress tries to protect Padhiyar from arrest, this will not succeed because there was ample evidence of negligent driving that killed six persons against him.

Sojitra police station, under whose jurisdiction the accident happened, has lodged a criminal complaint under IPC section 304 for culpable homicide, prohibition act against Ketan Padhiyar, said A.P. Parmar, Police Sub Inspector. "As the accused is injured and taking treatment in a private hospital, police have been deployed at the hospital, the moment he is discharged, will be arrested," said the officer.

Six persons were killed after a car rammed into an auto-rickshaw and a bike on Thursday evening. While two persons died on the spot, four others succumbed to their injuries after being shifted to a hospital in Sojitra.

The deceased included three members of a family, including two sisters and their mother.

According to the police, a car with registration number GJ-23-CD-4404 rammed into an auto-rickshaw and a bike near Dali village under Sojitra taluka.

While the auto rickshaw driver and the bike rider died on the spot, three others riding in the auto-rickshaw and the pillion rider on the bike succumbed to their injuries at the hospital.

--IANS

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