Jaipur, 8 Apr

A drunk SUV driver speeding down a narrow city road allegedly hit multiple pedestrians and vehicles, killing three people and leaving six others seriously injured, police said on Tuesday. The tragedy took on political overtones with the Congress expelling the driver, its district leader, and the BJP saying the opposition party was full of people with criminal tendencies.

As the car moved from the MI Road to the narrow lanes in the Nahargarh area, it mowed down people and vehicles on its way. The driver, identified as 62-year-old Usman Khan, is a factory owner and the Congress's Jaipur district vice president.

Following the incident, locals gathered at Nahargarh police station and blocked roads to protest and demand financial compensation, a government job, and other relief to the victims and their kin.

According to police, Khan first hit a scooter near the Santosh Mata Temple and continued to drive recklessly, crushing those who had fallen on the road and ramming into more people and vehicles along the way.

The SUV even collided with vehicles parked outside the Nahargarh Police Station. Police and locals managed to stop the vehicle when it got stuck in a narrow lane. The driver was detained on the spot.

Additional DCP (North) Bajrang Singh Shekhawat said Khan, a resident of Rana Colony in Shastri Nagar, was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.

'He lost control of the SUV and hit most of the victims in an area of about 500 metres near the Nahargarh Police Station,' Shekhawat said.

Those injured in the accident were identified as Virendra Singh, 48, Mamta Kanwar, 50, Monesh Soni, 28, Mohammad Jalaluddin, 44, Deepika Saini, 17, Vijay Narayan, 65, Jebunnisha, 50, Anshika, 24, and Awadhesh Pareek, 37.

All were rushed to Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital, where doctors declared Kanwar and Pareek dead. Singh died on Tuesday morning. Hospital authorities said the condition of the injured remains critical, and they have been admitted to the trauma ward of the SMS Hospital.

Police said Khan owns a factory manufacturing iron beds in the Vishwakarma Industrial Area. A medical examination confirmed that he was heavily intoxicated at the time of the incident. An FIR has been registered against the accused based on a complaint filed by Kanwar's father.

Following the incident, tension spread in the area, and police from four stations were deployed on Nahargarh Road and nearby areas to maintain law and order.

A Rajasthan Congress spokesperson said Khan has been expelled from the party. He also said that the Congress has submitted a memorandum to the district administration to take strict action against him.

Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra said on X, 'The incident of a car driver running over several people at high speed in Jaipur is extremely sad and unfortunate. I express my deepest condolences to those who lost their loved ones in the accident.'

'Strictest action should be taken against criminals who commit such misdeeds under the influence of alcohol.'

Hitting out at the Congress, the BJP said the opposition party is full of people with criminal tendencies.

'The name of the person who crushed 9 people with his car in Jaipur is Usman Khan, who is also the district vice president of Congress. So far, three people, including a woman, have died in this accident, while six others are seriously injured,' BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya said on X.

'The Congress is full of such people with criminal tendencies, but as soon as their names are taken, 'secularism' comes under threat,' he said.

Talking to reporters, BJP MLA Balmukundacharya said the party stands with the victims and their family members.

'The entire BJP and the government are with the victims and their families. The Congress functionary, who is also a close aide of MLA Amin Kagzi, ran over people from MI road to Nahargarh road. It is possible that he deliberately caused hurt to our people. Three people died and some are battling for their lives,' Balmukundacharya told reporters.

He said, 'The victims will get compensation and the accused will be given strict punishment as per the law.'