A gory Ahmedabad accident, and a rich man's antics after 9 deaths

Arman Wadhwadiya and Aman Kachi, 21, had just moved to Ahmedabad from neighbouring Surendranagar district in Gujarat. Arman wanted to prepare for IELTS and pursue his dream of studying in the US. Aman, a physiotherapy student, wanted to open a clinic in Ahmedabad. Their dreams were snuffed out when a speeding Jaguar SUV crushed and killed both and seven others on Iscon Bridge on the Sarkhej-Gandhinagar highway in Ahmedabad on Thursday (June 20).

Another victim, also 21, was Akshar Patel of Botad district. He was visiting Ahmedabad to fill out his forms for the MBA course. His friends Krunal Dodiya, 24, and Ronak Vihalpara, 23, accompanied him. The three had looked for an apartment in the city to stay and study. They were to take a bus to their hometown from a bus stop at the Iscon crossroad. Akshar, the only child of his parents, died on the spot. His friends died on their way to the hospital.

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Jaswantsinh Chauhan, a traffic policeman on duty, also died instantly along with Notesh Khatik, a Home Guard on traffic duty.

The Jaguar SUV that killed nine in the horrific accident was driven by 19- year-old Tathya Patel, son of Ahmedabad-based builder Pragnesh Patel. Reportedly, it was Tathya’s birthday and he took his friends for a ride to enjoy the rains.

First accident

Two vehicles had collided on the bridge earlier and the traffic policemen and the others killed were helping the passengers out of the vehicles when the Jaguar SUV came roaring at 160 kmph rammed into the crowd. Apart from the nine killed, 20 others were injured. Two of them are in a critical state.

The speed limit on the Sarkhej-Gandhinagar highway is 80 kmph.

Police Inspector KY Vyas of the Satellite police station said the earlier accident on the bridge occurred at about 1 am but no one was injured. When the policeman and others were helping people in those vehicles, “the Jaguar came at a very high speed and rammed into every one present at the spot”.

Tathya and his friends in the SUV were not injured in the accident. However, he was thrashed by the public on the scene causing him minor injuries. He was admitted in an ICU of a private hospital for eight hours after which he was arrested along with his father Pragnesh Patel.

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The father and son were then taken to the spot of the accident and made to do sit ups on the road amid police and media presence. However, even as Tathya, in a dramatic move, apologized on the road where his car killed nine people, the lawyer for the family defended him.

“There was no light on the entire bridge. How is it that so many people were standing in the middle of the bridge? Why was no warning sign put up?” argued the lawyer for the Patels.

BJP links

Pragnesh Patel, an Ahmedabad-based builder known to be close to many BJP leaders, has at least a dozen cases registered against him, including one for gangrape. Reportedly, he reached the spot and threatened the witnesses – for which he was arrested.

According to a FIR lodged late on Thursday night against the father and son, Pragnesh Patel came to the accident site and got into a confrontation with the crowd. He abused them, threatened them and drove off with his son and his friends.

“Pragnesh Patel has multiple criminal cases filed against him and will also be charged with offences for threatening citizens at the accident site. We are also on the lookout for the other youths who were in the car along with Tathya,” Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi told the media.

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This is reportedly highest number of casualties the state has witnessed in a road accident. In a similar accident in Ahmedabad in 2013, Vismay Shah, who was driving a BMW at high speed, mowed down two young men and fled the spot. He was arrested two days later.

Earlier saga

Five years later, he was sentenced to five years in jail and accused of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Shah, a son of rich businessman, later reached a financial settlement with the family of the deceased on the condition that they drop the case.

However, the Gujarat High Court took suo moto cognizance and upheld the lowers court’s decision. Shah reached the Supreme Court in 2015 and stated in his submission that the family of the deceased were paid Rs 1.5 crore each by him apart from the government relief.

The Supreme Court then stated: “You cannot buy justice with money.” Shah then surrendered and served his sentence till 2020.