Speeding BMW rams into cab in South Delhi, kills Uber driver

New Delhi: In yet another hit-and run-case, a 30-year-old Uber cab driver was killed after a speeding BMW luxury car with an MNC employee at the wheel rammed into his vehicle in South Delhi late on Sunday night.

The Delhi police on Monday arrested Shoaib Kohli, the 24-year-old driver of the BMW SUV vehicle that rammed into a cab. The incident occurred when the speeding BMW hit a Wagon R cab from behind near IIT-Delhi, thereby killing its driver Nazrul, a native of West Bengal.

A senior police official said that the BMW, bearing a Chandigarh license plate, was registered under the name of Kohli’s mother. Shoaib was on his way to Vasant Vihar when he lost control of the car and rammed it into the cab ahead.

Kohli has been arrested from his house in Panchsheel Park area. He works as an analyst in a multi-national company in Gurgaon. His father is director in a food processing company in the country. During questioning, the accused driver told the police that the cab driver had suddenly applied brakes and his speeding BMW, which was just behind the cab, rammed into it. Afraid of being lynched by the mob, he ran away.

A passerby made a PCR call at 11.31 pm about the accident, following which a team reached the spot and took the victim to the AIIMS Trauma Centre, where doctors declared him brought dead.

An eyewitness said that both the cars were coming from Kalkaji to Vasant Vihar when they collided. The impact was such that the Wagon R was flung in the air and skidded for a few metres before coming to a stop. “The impact of the crash was so huge that the CNG cylinder of the cab blew with a sound akin to a bomb blast. We rushed for help and called the police. The BMW driver ran away after coming out of his car,” said the eyewitness.

The BMW car has been impounded by the Vasant Vihar police station. “Shoiab has been booked under IPC Section 304 A (causing death due to negligence) and 279 (rash driving). His medical examination has been done. We are waiting for the medical report to find out if the driver was under the influence of alcohol,” said a senior police official.

The police said that they have also procured CCTV footage of the accident for further investigation.

Fuming over the death of their colleague, several cab drivers protested at the Vasant Vihar police station and demanded harsh punishment for the driver of the BMW car and also asked for compensation for the rehabilitation of the victim’s family.