Nagpur: One of the four people seriously injured in the Gorewada Road midnight crash succumbed on Wednesday, with bank manager Bablu Kulmethe (40) losing battle for life two days after a speeding SUV, allegedly driven by an intoxicated woman, ploughed into him and others on Adivasi Road under Gittikhadan police station area.Following Kulmethe’s death, Gittikhadan police have enhanced the charges against SUV driver Dipali Bhuyan (32), a make-up artist and businesswoman from Sitabuldi, to the stringent charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder..Grief and anger marked Kulmethe’s final journey on Thursday as relatives and residents gathered at the Vaishali Nagar crematorium for his last rites. Condemning the incident, a family member said, “This should be treated as a case of murder by negligence committed by an affluent woman driving under the influence of an intoxicant.”The chain-reaction crash unfolded late on Tuesday night when Bhuyan allegedly lost control of her SUV. According to police, Kulmethe had parked his car and was stepping out when the SUV rammed the vehicle. The impact flung him and his two-year-old son, Priyansh, onto the road. The vehicle then allegedly struck Vanshika Kulmethe (14), who was standing nearby, and Harish Rewatkar (46) of Gayatri Nagar, a pedestrian who had just alighted from a bus, and one more person.The SUV continued its destructive trail, crashing into a motorcycle, an autorickshaw and another two-wheeler before finally slamming into a tree, eyewitnesses said.Eyewitnesses and police sources claimed Bhuyan’s speech appeared incoherent after the crash, raising suspicion that she was under the influence of an intoxicant. However, police are still awaiting forensic confirmation.The accident triggered public outrage. Within hours, a large crowd from Gond Mohalla and adjoining localities gathered outside Gittikhadan police station demanding swift action against the accused. Enraged residents reportedly damaged the SUV involved in the crash.Senior officers, including deputy commissioner of police Annapurna Singh, rushed to the scene as tensions escalated. Police initially sheltered Bhuyan inside the station before formally arresting her. She has since been remanded in police custody till September 19.Legal experts said that, upon conviction, the offence could attract imprisonment ranging from five to 10 years along with a fine. In certain circumstances, life imprisonment is also legally possible if the prosecution succeeds in establishing a higher degree of culpability. Proof that the accused knowingly drove at high speed in an intoxicated state through a populated stretch could strengthen the case for stricter punishment, they said.DCP Singh is contemplating writing to Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSL) seeking an expedited analysis of Bhuyan’s blood samples. Investigators are awaiting confirmation of the substance allegedly consumed by the accused and the extent of intoxication at the time of the crash.Back in Adivasi Nagar, distraught relatives and residents discussed taking Kulmethe’s body to the police station in protest. However, they eventually decided against the move and proceeded with the funeral at Vaishali Nagar crematorium. Police officials assured the family that the investigation would be pursued rigorously and that all legal avenues would be explored to secure justice. CCTV footage from the area is also being examined to reconstruct the sequence of events.Meanwhile, the other injured victims, including the children and Rewatkar, continue to undergo treatment.
