Father, son ram car into protesters in Indore, killing female techie

Dispute over the commercial use of a penthouse in Indore turned deadly when a man and his son allegedly rammed their car into a group of protesters, resulting in the death of a female techie and another woman suffering severe injuries.

Police on Friday (March 27) said the incident took place in Indore on Wednesday, around 10.30 pm, when residents protested against penthouse owners Kuldeep Chaudhary (42) and his son Mohit Chaudhary (18) for allegedly using their premises for short-term rentals on the online platform Airbnb.

Victim succumbs to injuries

“Shampa Pathak Pandey, a mother of two, died on Thursday while undergoing treatment at a local hospital,” said Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Dandotiya.

The vehicle first hit a woman and then ran over Pandey, who suffered severe head injuries and a brain haemorrhage.

Pandey, who worked with a Bengaluru-headquartered IT services firm, was taken to Bombay Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries on Thursday, the official said. The other injured woman is undergoing treatment.

CCTV footage and arrests

The incident was captured on CCTV cameras installed in the building, located within the jurisdiction of the Lasudia police station, the official said.

“Kuldeep and Mohit were arrested on Thursday. Both have been booked for murder,” Dandotiya said, adding that a probe is underway.

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According to a report in the Hindustan Times, a CCTV footage of the incident, which surfaced on social media on Thursday, purportedly shows the accused Mohit Chaudhary hitting Pandey and another woman with his car. Both Kuldeep and Mohit have been arrested following the incident.

What caused the dispute

Lasudiya town inspector Tarnesh Soni said the incident took place around 10.30 pm at Shiv Vatika Township on MR-11, where Kuldeep Chaudhary had allegedly rented out his penthouse through Airbnb despite objections from residents over frequent late-night movement of guests.

He said tensions rose after residents allegedly cut off electricity to the penthouse, following which Chaudhary disconnected the power supply to other flats, leading to a confrontation.

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“The situation escalated after residents allegedly switched off electricity to the penthouse, following which Kuldeep Chaudhary cut power to other flats, triggering a confrontation. He called his son, who arrived in a car and hit some people. He first hit a domestic helper and then rammed into Shampa Pandey,” the officer added.

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Pandey’s husband, Saurabh Pandey, said the family had recently moved into the building and had gone to the parking area after hearing a disturbance. “Amid the chaos, the accused drove into my wife and a domestic helper. He also tried to hit me, but I managed to escape. Later, he rammed the car into a wall,” he alleged.

Residents flag irregularities

Residents alleged that the penthouse was not part of the approved building plan and said complaints had earlier been raised with the builder over irregularities and disturbances linked to its use, but no action was taken.

Soni said CCTV footage has been taken into custody and a case registered against the accused under relevant sections. “CCTV footage of the incident has been seized, and a case has been registered against the accused under relevant sections. Further investigation is underway.”

(With agency inputs)