Surat: Two employees of a prominent restaurant chain, who were killed in hit-and-run on October 11, were victims of a post-midnight car race between a textile weaving unit owner and his friends.
On October 13, Police had arrested the unit owner Pranav Patel, who had run over Paresh Malvi (35) and Govindsinh Kathayat (28) of Barbeque Nation at Kargil Chowk at Gaurav Path on Dumas Road. Both victims were dragged for over 30 meters by Patel’s car.
Patel was booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder along with other sections of Indian Penal Code. Recently, a court had cancelled Patel’s bail too.
Investigation revealed that Patel and his friends left a box cricket venue on Dumas Road after playing and having dinner at around 1.30am. Patel was in his Honda WRV and he entered into a race with his friend, who was in a Suzuki Baleno. Some other friends were on two-wheelers. For some distance, both the cars were racing with each other, but later Patel’s friend slowed down near Iscon Mall while the accused continued driving at high speed. He hit the victims who were crossing the road at Kargil Chowk and returning home.
“Patel was racing with his friend who has been made a witness in the case,” said an officer at Umra police station.
Patel had earlier told police that after noticing the two men, he thought that he would drive past them, but it ultimately resulted in the fatal accident.
Police had recovered a few broken parts of the car from the spot which led to the vehicle being identified. Patel had changed his route to return home to avoid getting caught in CCTV cameras.