New revelations in Vadodara accident case: Drug traces, bottle, swapped seats

Law student Rakshit Chaurasia may have drunk alcohol and insisted on driving before he allegedly rammed a car into eight persons, killing a woman and injuring the others, in Gujarat’s Vadodara on Thursday (March 13).

CCTV footage has revealed the moments leading up to the accident in which Rakshit allegedly hit three two-wheelers, killing Hemali Patel (35), in Karelibaug. The injured include two children aged 10 and 12. Three of the seven injured persons are reportedly critical.

The youth from Varanasi may have also taken drugs at the time, as a rapid test kit has reportedly confirmed the presence of narcotics in his blood.

A suspicious bottle

In CCTV footage, Rakshit (23) can be seen reaching his friend Suresh’s house on a scooter, with the latter riding pillion, around 10.30 pm on Thursday. Rakshit can be seen holding a bottle and drinking from it as the duo enters Suresh’s house, though the bottle’s contents are unclear.

Rakshit’s friend Pranshu Chauhan, who was also in the Volkswagen Virtus when the accident happened and has also been arrested, can be seen arriving about 15 minutes later in the said sedan. He also parks his car outside Suresh’s house and takes the stairs.

Swapped seats

Around 11.25 pm, Rakshit and Pranshu can be seen coming out of the house and getting into the car. Initially, Pranshu takes the driver’s seat, but it appears that Rakshit insisted on driving. Pranshu can be seen talking to him before moving to the next seat.

According to media reports, police have confirmed that Rakshit and Pranshu switched seats. However, it is still being investigated whether Rakshit had insisted on the change.

Also read: Vadodara accident: Law student denies police claims, says he wasn’t drunk or speeding

Odd behaviour

As Rakshit started driving, he crashed the car into three vehicles shortly afterwards. Another video shows the sedan’s front badly damaged and the airbags deployed. Pranshu can be heard saying “hato tum” (you move) as he exits the car and also says “pagal hai” (he is mad) after that.

Despite the accident, Rakshit can be heard shouting “another round, another round”, followed by “Nikita” and “Om Namah Shivay” before he gets thrashed by a crowd. His behaviour has prompted the police to suspect that he was under the influence of an intoxicant.

Drug traces in blood

According to a The Indian Express report, a rapid test kit confirmed the presence of drugs in Rakshit’s blood shortly after his detention following the accident. However, the rapid test kit’s report is not admissible as evidence in a court of law.

However, the police have reportedly sent the blood samples of Rakshit, Pranshu, and Suresh to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), which can indicate the exact drug present in the bloodstream.

The Indian Express quoted a senior police officer as saying that the FSL report should be available next week. Interestingly, Rakshit was reportedly thrashed and handed over to the police by locals in February, too, after he and his friends created a ruckus after drinking.

Also read: Law student rams car into two-wheelers in Vadodara; one killed, 4 injured

Denial by accused

Rakshit, a law student at MS University, Vadodara, has been arrested and charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. He has claimed that he was neither drunk nor speeding and the car was moving at only 50 kmph.

According to him, while trying to negotiate a pothole, the car touched another vehicle and the airbag opened, hampering his vision, which led to the car going out of control. “I was told that one woman has died and a few were injured. I want to meet the family of the victims, it is my fault,” he told the media.

The incident sparked massive outrage and locals gave him a sound thrashing before handing him over to the police.