Bengaluru: Police have taken three people into custody after a 25-year-old cook was fatally dragged beneath a car for nearly 150 metres in a road rage incident at Electronics City. However, the owner of the car, who was with the other accused at the time of the incident, is at large.The accused are Ajay Rabidas (26), Sajal Namasudra (19) and Bijon Ray (27), all residents of Basapur. The men from Assam work as drivers for cabs and trucks. The car owner, Shyam Khoar, also from Assam, is yet to be traced. Police investigations revealed that Rabidas drove the car, mowing the victim. All the accused claimed before the cops that they were heavily intoxicated following a party.The victim, identified as Ranjit Kumar Sahu, worked as a cook at a paying guest (PG) accommodation in BTM Layout. He had travelled to Electronics City to celebrate Dussehra with his friends.According to a complaint filed by Sahu’s friend, Nitish Kumar Mukhiya, the incident unfolded around 1:50 am on Oct 21. Mukhiya and a group of friends were crossing the main road near Pragathipura, close to Electronics City, when a white car driven at high speed narrowly missed hitting them.Mukhiya waved his hand and used sign language to signal the driver to slow down and query the reckless driving. Taking offence at the gesture, the driver stopped the vehicle down the road, made an abrupt U-turn, and returned to the spot. Four men alighted from the car, leading to a heated altercation.Sensing trouble, Mukhiya phoned Sahu, who was resting at Mukhiya’s residence about 400 metres away. As Sahu reached the spot, the confrontation escalated into a physical clash.The car occupants decided to flee and started the engine. Sahu was standing directly in front of the vehicle. Despite seeing him, the driver accelerated the car. Sahu became trapped beneath the front portion of the car and was dragged along the road for approximately 150 metres, the complaint said.The vehicle eventually came to a halt. The occupants stepped out, pulled the severely injured Sahu from under the car, dumped him near the service road, and fled the scene. Sahu, who suffered critical injuries, was rushed to a private hospital at Madiwala, where he succumbed to his injuries.Deputy commissioner of police (Electronics City) M Narayana said, “CCTV footage we collected from the place of incident did not clearly show the car in detail. We interacted with local residents, in particular those who run all-night eateries on pavements; these interactions helped in identifying the vehicle and reaching the suspects. Finally, technical assistance also helped in solving the case.”
