Chase-death case: Cops take trader to reconstruct events
Times of India | 2 March 2025
1234 Panagarh: Police on Saturday took Bablu Yadav (37), the motor parts scrap trader, who was arrested for the death of dancer-event manager Sutandra Chatterjee after a high-speed chase on NH-19 at Panagarh, to the spot to reconstruct the scene.
The reconstruction was carried out based on witness's accounts, available CCTV footage and police statements. Police said among the places Yadav was taken on Saturday were the spots that fell on the "blind spots"— the stretch from where CCTV footage could not be found.
Yadav, sporting a black full-sleeved shirt, black pants and slippers, was taken to three or four points on the possible chase route, including the first spot ahead of Mankar bridge, where Yadav's white SUV had reportedly bumped against Chatterjee's hatchback on purpose. Chatterjee's colleagues, who were with her in the car that night, had earlier alleged the entire chase started after Yadav and the other occupants in his SUV had teased and harassed Chatterjee. The second point, where Yadav was taken was a stretch, where both the vehicles faced bumper-to-bumper traffic and Chatterjee's car reportedly tried to stop Yadav's SUV.
Yadav was also taken to the accident spot, where Chatterjee's had taken a turn onto Rice Mill Road at high speed, hit a concrete chunk, rammed into a public toilet and overturned. leading to Chatterjee's death. Even as he told cops his version of the events of the fateful night from Pursha to Rice Mill Road, a large crowd gathered to see him.
Yadav was then taken to the Kanksa police station, where both vehicles, Yadav's SUV and Chatterjee's hatchback, were kept; he pointed to police the dents and scratch marks on his SUV.
According to police, Yadav's statements will be verified with those of his associates, who were in the SUV with him. Yadav has been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, acts endangering life or safety of others and rash driving. The Durgapur on Friday remanded him to police custody for two days.