Hyderabad: While the hunt for the driver of the Mercedes-Benz that caused a fatal crash on the Durgam Cheruvu cable bridge in the early hours of April 19 continues, police have discovered that the luxury vehicle has changed hands multiple times over the past decade.Investigators found that the vehicle remains registered in the name of a Kolkata-based company, Quantum Minerals and Metals Pvt Ltd. However, it is currently in the possession of its fifth owner, a software professional based in Hyderabad.“He is also the prime suspect in the case, as we have no record of the vehicle being sold after that. We are trying to trace him to confirm the facts,” said an official from Madhapur police, who are probing the incident.At around 3.15 am on April 19, a speeding Mercedes rammed into 32-year-old businessman Shyam Raj, who had visited the bridge with his wife. Both of his legs were severed in the crash, and he succumbed to his injuries at around 4 pm the same day. The driver abandoned the vehicle at the spot and escaped on foot.According to the police, the Kolkata firm was the car’s first owner. About a decade ago, it defaulted on its EMIs, leading the financial institution that financed the vehicle to seize it. The car was later auctioned and purchased by a buyer from West Bengal, who subsequently sold it to another individual in Hyderabad. The vehicle was then sold again to a city-based car dealer.Within two years, the dealer sold the car to its current owner.“We tracked down the dealer through Instagram, where he had posted about the car being up for sale. During questioning, he informed us about the present owner. He sold the Mercedes-Benz C230 to him on Nov 6, 2024, for Rs 4.5 lakh,” the official added.Although the police obtained the latest owner’s address from the documents submitted at the time of the sale, they have been unable to locate him at either of the listed addresses. “Even the phone numbers are switched off. We are now looking for other leads to trace the accused,” the official said.Meanwhile, the police have written to the Kolkata-based company seeking an explanation as to why the vehicle remains registered in its name despite multiple ownership transfers. “The firm has responded orally, but we are still awaiting written confirmation along with the documents we have requested,” the official added.
