Drunk man drives SUV into shanties, crushes two workers sleeping there

GREATER NOIDA: A 24-year-old man ran his father’s SUV over a group of construction workers sleeping inside three shanties at site 4 near Sector Beta 2 on Friday night, leaving two dead and one injured.
Police said Rajesh Bhati, who was under the influence of alcohol, lost control of the Scorpio while negotiating a left turn at the T-point near Acher police chowki and crashed into the shanties. The SUV kept moving for about 30 metres after which it got stuck in an open manhole.
Bhati, an unemployed youth, has been arrested, cops said, adding the SUV registered in his father’s name was also seized. After a medical test found alcohol in his blood, cops said, Bhati was produced in a court on Saturday that sent him to judicial custody.
The deceased have been identified as Sanjay and Siyaram, from Saharsa and Madhepura districts of Bihar. Both were in their late twenties and used to work at an under-construction site of Fortis Hospital close to their homes.
Konika and Uttam, a couple from West Bengal, who are also construction workers, told TOI that the three shanties were in a row close to the T-point. Sanjay and Siyaram had been sleeping in their hut right next to the road. While the couple was inside the hut in the middle, another worker, Ikramul, was in the third shanty. “We were sleeping when the car crashed into our homes. The two men were crushed to death, as they were sleeping in the first hut. After the collision, the car went ahead and I got hurt when a piece of tin hit me on the forehead,” said Konika. The shanties made of tin and bamboo were about 6 feet wide and 8 feet tall.
According to the police, after the car got stuck in the manhole, the driver fled, leaving the vehicle on the spot. The injured were taken to Yatharth hospital and then shifted to Kailash hospital where the two men were declared dead.
“We got information from a passerby after which a team reached the spot. The accused tried to drive pass the spot after hitting the two men. But the vehicle was found stuck in a manhole. The keys were missing,” said Patnish Kumar, chowki in-charge, Acher.
Police said after seizing the car (UP 16 AZ 8293), they lodged a search operation to look for the driver. “We found him after a few hours in Nat Madhaiya village in an inebriated condition. We sent him for a medical examination where it was confirmed that he was drunk,” said Kumar.
An empty bottle of alcohol and a glass was found inside the car. “It seems there were more people in the car at the time of the accident. A probe is on,” said Kumar. He added that Bhati stays in Chuharpur village with his family.
The construction site where the deceased used to work is being developed by Ram Ratan Real Estate Pvt limited. Soon after the accident, a contractor from the company, Ram Kumar, filed a complaint based on which an FIR was registered under IPC sections 279 (rash driving), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life) and 304 (culpable homicide).