Overview
- An FIR for rash and negligent driving has been registered at Anjuna police station after a rented Mahindra Thar struck a Hyundai i20 at Assagao, killing 65-year-old Bhagat Ram Sharma of Bhopal.
- Police said a 19-year-old from Delhi is named in the case under BNS sections 106(1), 281 and 125, with efforts underway to establish who was driving at the moment of impact.
- Eyewitness accounts under verification allege a post-crash seat switch to shield a woman said to be at the wheel, as viral clips show a male occupant saying on a call, “Papa… suddenly ho gaya crash.”
- In a separate Noida incident on February 23, a Thar collided with an e-rickshaw near a Sector 49 hospital, injuring four people; the driver was detained and the vehicle impounded as the probe continues.
- Recent stunt and crash videos featuring Thar SUVs have intensified public scrutiny of reckless driving, with police relying on CCTV, social media footage and witness statements to determine accountability.