Bhubaneswar, Oct 12 — The Commissionerate Police arrested a habitual offender on Monday on charges of deliberately ramming his car into people on Puri Bypass Road near SR Valley Square in Bhubaneswar early this morning, with the intention of killing them.
The accused had allegedly hit a person with his car earlier and fled the spot before returning to attack people who had gathered to help the injured victim.
The accused, identified as Soumya Ranjan Rath (20), is a resident of Jayadev Vihar under Nayapalli police limits in Bhubaneswar. He was arrested and forwarded to court after police established his alleged involvement in the incidents.
According to police, the incident took place around 7.30 am on Monday when complainant Ratikanta Singh and his wife Annapurna Singh were travelling towards Hanspal on their Bajaj Discover motorcycle.
Singh further stated in the complaint that just before SR Valley Square on Puri Bypass Road, a Tata Nexon car hit a person standing by the roadside and fled towards Keshura Square.
Seeing the injured person, Ratikanta, his wife and other passers-by stopped to arrange medical assistance for him. However, the same car allegedly returned at high speed from the Keshura side, driving in the opposite direction, and rammed into Ratikanta, his wife and other people gathered at the spot.
The driver then moved ahead and tried to turn the vehicle around, but the car stopped. People present at the spot caught and detained the accused Rath.
During the investigation, police found that the accused had allegedly driven the same car into the owner and staff members of Darling Dhaba (eatery) before the Puri Bypass Road incident, allegedly attempting to kill them.
"A total of four cases have been registered in connection with the incident near the dhaba or eatery, and all carry stringent charges since he used the vehicle with the intent to run people over and kill them.
“He was prima facie in a drunken state, and the medical examination report has also shown a positive sign indicating alcohol consumption," said a senior police official.
Police also found that around three months ago, Rath had allegedly caused a similar incident near Shastri Nagar Square under Kharvelnagar police station limits, resulting in the death of a person.
He was arrested in that case and sent to jail but later secured bail from the court.
Police said he allegedly committed the latest offence while on bail, in violation of its conditions.