Three injured after car reverses into crowd at high speed in Bhopal

Three people were injured after a speeding car ran through a crowd during the immersion of a Durga idol in Bhopal late on Saturday.

The driver was arrested on Sunday but was later released on bail, police said.

The accused was going from Indore to Bengaluru. Sources said he panicked after a bystander got violent and smashed the car’s window after it hit him, they said.

”During the investigation, it was found that the accused had stopped to have food near the railway station in Bhopal. While reversing the car, the vehicle hit one of the bystanders. The bystander got violent and smashed the car, as a result of which he reversed the car at high speed to escape from getting hurt,” NDTV quoted a police source.

A video of the incident, shared by a bystander, showed the driver reversing the car at high speed while people try to move away from its path. A 16-year-old boy who was dragged by the car is reported to be critical.

A police head constable also sustained minor injuries, the source said.

“The driver has been arrested and charged under relevant sections. The car has also been seized. No traces of alcohol were found in his blood,” DIG Bhopal Irshad Wali said.

It was the second such incident on Saturday. In Chhattisgarh, a man was killed and 16 injured after allegedly being run over by a car during an immersion possession in Jashpur district.

In a tweet, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel expressed sadness over the incident and assured that justice would be served.

“The Jashpur incident is very sad and heartbreaking. The culprits were immediately arrested. Prima facie action has also been taken against the police officers who appeared guilty. An inquiry has been ordered. No one will be spared. Justice will be given to all. May God rest the soul of the departed in peace,” Baghel said in a tweet in Hindi.

The Chhattisgarh police later arrested two people.