Car chase: SUV driver booked, cop lens on occupants of both vehicles
Times of India | 26 February 2025
12 Panagarh/Kolkata: Acting on a complaint filed by a colleague of Sutandra Chatterjee, the 27-year-old dancer-event manager who lost her life following a car chase near Panagarh on Monday, police have charged the driver of the other vehicle involved in the chase with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
The other car, a white SUV, was being driven by its owner Bablu Yadav, a local businessman now absconding. A team of officers from Asansol Durgapur commissionerate on Tuesday raided Yadav's home, which is very close to the accident spot. He has also been charged under BNS sections related to rash driving, acts endangering life or safety of others and mischief. "We will catch him soon," said Suman Jaiswal, ACP, Kanksa.
A senior official, however, said the roles of the occupants of both cars were being ascertained. "We have evidence that shows Chatterjee's car was always behind the white SUV for the last 5km before the accident. Although we have registered an FIR based on the complaint of the passenger of Chatterjee's car, we are probing the role of occupants of both vehicles, especially the two drivers. None is outside the purview of investigation," he said.
On Monday, Chatterjee's colleague Mintu Mondal (the complainant) and driver had told reporters that five men in a white car had chased their vehicle, teased Chatterjee, made lewd gestures and repeatedly bumped their car leading to the accident. His police complaint, however, does not mention teasing or harassment.
The FIR, which was accessed by TOI, says during their journey on NH-19, Chatterjee's vehicle was dashed several times by another 4-wheeler, and as a result, their car entered Old GT Road. Near Panagarh Bazar, Rice Mill Road, the other car "dashed the complainant's car in a rash and negligent manner" at high speed resulting in the accident.
The CCTV frames that police released, however, shows Yadav's car ahead of Chatterjee's at all points during the chase. Chatterjee's car was first spotted at a fuel station at Pursha in Burdwan at 12:06 am on Monday. The fuel station's CCTV cameras captured her there for around four minutes. The white SUV isn't seen at the fuel station. The next CCTV footage available is from Gram Bangla Hotel on Old GT Road in Panagarh. It shows a white car moving at a moderate speed followed by Chatterjee's black car 10 seconds later. CCTV footage from three other spots over the next 1.5 km shows the black car closing the gap till the accident happens at 12:26 am.
Senior officials are seeking answers to why Chatterjee or her colleagues did not dial 100 to lodge a harassment complaint and why they continued to follow the white SUV despite there being a 10-20 second between the two vehicles at places.
Mondal, who had submitted a written complaint at 2:10 pm on Monday, was questioned by cops till 1.30 am on Tuesday before being allowed to leave. When asked by reporters about the discrepancies in his version and that of cops', he refused to comment. "I have already given my statement before police," he said.
A four-member fact-finding team of CID on Tuesday visited the accident spot and inspected the two vehicles at Kanksa police station.
Stay updated with breaking news, bank holidays and upcoming public holidays in march.