A luxury car owned by Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule's son Sanket hit several vehicles in the early hours of Monday in Ramdaspeth area of Nagpur, after which the driver and one more occupant were detained and their medical examination was underway, a police official said.
According to the Sitabuldi police station official, the Audi car first collided with complainant Jitendra Sonkamble's car at 1am and then with a moped, leaving two youth riding it injured.
"The Audi car struck some more vehicles moving towards Mankapur area. At T-Point there, the vehicle hit a Polo car. Its occupants chased the Audi and stopped it near Mankapur bridge. Two occupants, identified as driver Arjun Hawre and Ronit Chittamwar, were stopped by those in the Polo car," he said.
"The duo was taken to Tehsil police station, from where they were handed over for further probe to Sitabuldi police. The medical examination of driver Arjun Hawre and occupant Chittamwar is in progress. Driver Hawre could be placed under arrest at any time ," he said.
The official said the occupants of the Audi were returning from a beer bar in Dharampeth when the incident took place, adding the medical examination will include blood tests for alcohol detection.
"A case of rash driving and other offences was registered on the complaint of Sonkamble. No action has been taken so far against Sanket Bawankule and the other two occupants who reportedly escaped from the scene at Mankapur bridge," the official said.
"We are checking the CCTV footage to ascertain the chain of events, after which further action on all aspects, including other occupants, will follow," he said.
Speaking to reporters about the incident, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule admitted the Audi car was registered in the name of his son Sanket.
"Police should conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the accident without any bias. Those found guilty should be charged and appropriate action should be taken against them. I have not spoken to any police official. The law must be equal for all," the senior BJP leader said.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena-UBT MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said Devendra Fadnavis was not eligible to head the Maharashtra home department.
Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Raut claimed evidence has been removed in the case and that till BJP leader Fadnavis remains the home minister, there will not be any fair probe in any case in the state.
"According to our information, the son of BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule was allegedly drunk and seriously injured two persons in Nagpur. Surprisingly, his name was not mentioned in the First Information Report (FIR), and the car's number plate was removed after the accident," he claimed.
If Devendra Fadnavis, who also hails from Nagpur, fails to lead the home department effectively, then he is not eligible for such a position, the Rajya Sabha member said.
"The car is registered in Bawankule's name, yet all the evidence has been removed," Raut claimed.
"As long as Fadnavis is the home minister and Rashmi Shukla is the director general of police, there will never be any fair investigation in any matter in the state," he added.
