Surat: Atul Vekariya, accused in the drunken driving case, has surrendered in Umra police station on Wednesday after being on the run for over a week. Police are yet to arrest him since he tested Covid-19 positive and was admitted to New Civil Hospital (NCH) for treatment. He will be arrested after discharge.
Vekariya’s vehicle had knocked down a 29-year-old clerk in Veer Narmad South Gujarat University (VNSGU) to death on March 26. Deceased Urvashi Chaudhary was sitting on her moped parked on the side of the road while her brother had gone to a roadside eatery to buy eatables.
Vekariya was initially booked for causing death by negligence and released a few hours after his arrest, which received wide criticism from the public. After Vekariya’s medical reports confirmed that he was drunk while driving, police approached the court to add section of culpable homicide not amounting to murder in the case.
Following the court’s approval, police added the section and started efforts to nab Vekariya who was on the run. Police raided his premises in Ahmedabad and other location as well but could not locate the well-known businessman.
Police are yet to find out where Vekariya had been hiding and also where did he consume liquor on that day.
Two inquiries have also been ordered against officials of Umra police station for negligence. In one of the inquiries assistant commissioner of police, E division, has been asked to inquire by deputy commissioner of police Vidhi Chaudhary as to why Vekariya was not booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder in the initial complaint itself. In another inquiry ordered by city police commissioner Ajay Tomar, additional commissioner of police H R Muliyana has been asked to find out that why Vekariya’s name was not disclosed in the preliminary complaint registered.