BHUBANESWAR: A 20-year-old man was arrested on Sunday for allegedly ramming his car into people who had stopped to help an accident victim on Puri bypass road in Bhubaneswar, police said.The incident took place around 7.30 am on October 12 near SR Valley Chhaka under Badagada police station limits. According to the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissionerate Police, the accused, Soumya Ranjan Rath, allegedly hit a person standing by the roadside with his car before fleeing towards Keshura Chhaka.Ratikanta Singh, who was travelling on a motorcycle with his wife Annapurna Singh, stopped along with other passersby to arrange medical assistance for the injured person, police said.However, the accused allegedly returned at high speed from the opposite direction and rammed into Singh, his wife and others at the spot. The car reportedly stalled while Rath was attempting to turn it around, allowing people present there to apprehend him.Police said the investigation revealed that Rath had allegedly been involved in a vehicle collision with the owner and staff of a dhaba before the incident.The police release further stated that around three months ago, Rath had allegedly caused a similar intentional accident near Shastri Nagar Chhaka under Kharavela Nagar police station limits, in which a person died. He was arrested in that case and subsequently released on bail, police said.Rath was arrested on October 12 and produced before a court. Five criminal cases, including the latest one, are registered against him — four at Badagada police station and one at Kharavela Nagar police station.Police have seized the car allegedly used in the incident and three other vehicles damaged in the accidents in connection with the cases.
