One person died, and six others were critical after a private car rammed a crowd in one of the busiest marketplaces in South Kolkata on Sunday morning.
A director of a daily soap and an executive producer from a renowned Bengali entertainment channel were in the car at the time of the accident, according to the police.
Following the incident, both were stopped by locals and beaten by the agitated crowd before being handed over to the police. As officers rushed to the spot to rescue them, an official told, that the co-passenger, Shriya Basu, appeared to be intoxicated and collapsed on the road.
At the time of the crash, Siddhanta Das alias Vikto - a renowned director in Bengali film industry - was behind the wheels and was subsequently arrested by the Kolkata Police.
Shriya Basu, an executive producer, was handed over to her family after being rescued by the police from the mob.
Sources confirmed that both were under the influence of alcohol.
According to a source, the two were out partying till late night before the incident. They were at a pub in Kolkata's South City Mall, celebrating the success of their show. While the rest of their group dispersed at around 2 am, the two continued drinking, driving round the city for the remainder of the night.
On Sunday morning, their car entered Thakurpukur Bazar and began hitting pedestrians. "The vehicle was coming from the Bishnupur side. After the crash, we found only one person inside the car," an eyewitness told.
A Kolkata Police official said, "At around 09:30 hrs near Thakurpukur Bazar on Diamond Harbour Road under the Thakurpukur Police Station, a private car hit several pedestrians. As a result, six people sustained multiple injuries. Four were taken to Kasturi Nursing Home, and two were shifted to CMRI Hospital in critical condition. The police seized the offending vehicle and detained the driver. An investigation is underway."
The injured are currently undergoing treatment at a hospital. One of the victims, Aminur Rahman, a sweeper with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and a local CPI(M) leader, died in the accident.
The accused, Siddhanta Das, is expected to be produced in court today.
Source: India Today