Ex-CPI(M) MLA's son's Friday night joyride turns deadly for 4 labourers

A speeding car, driven by the son of former CPI (M) MLA of Manteswar in Purba Burdwan mowed down four persons. The incident occurred near Jayram pool under Kusum panchayat in Monteswar on Friday night.

Altogether seven persons were injured in the accident. All of them were rushed to Burdwan Medical College and Hospital where two died on Friday night while other two succumbed to their injuries at the hospital on Saturday morning. Three persons were undergoing treatment at the hospital for injuries.

The accused, Hamidullah Chaudhuri, son of Chaudhuri Md Hedayatullah, former MLA of the CPI (M) from Monteswar, was driving the car at the time of the accident. He, however, fled from the spot immediately after the accident.

Police were conducting raids to nab the accused who was absconding since the accident took place. The accused's friend, Mohammed Sayed, who too was in the car, told the police that they had consumed alcohol from a bar near Nabadwip, Nadia, and were then returning home.

On their way home, their car had first hit a motorbike following which the accused sped up his vehicle and hit a tractor. Police suspect that car was running at a speed of around 100 km per hour when the driver lost control over the vehicle and it hit a tractor laden with paddy which was stationed by the side of the Maldanga-Memari road.

The car was going to Manteswar from Kusumgram at the time of the accident. The impact of the accident was so high that the tractor fell on a nearby ditch after the car had hit it.

The victims were sitting on the tractor when the accident took place and the local people rushed to their rescue.

They took the injured victims to the hospital. The car was also damaged in the accident and the police later impounded the car.

The local residents rescued the injured victims and took them to victims to Manteswar Hospital from where they were shifted to Burdwan Medical College and Hospital as their condition deteriorated.

The victims were all daily wage workers who were returning home from their days work on the tractor, police said. A senior police officer said that they have already registered a case against the driver.

Further investigations are on to ascertain if the accused was in a drunken state and how the accident had taken place. The car has been seized after the accident.

Forensic tests would be done on the car. The investigation officer (IO), however, believes that the driver could not control the vehicle as it was running at top speed. The police were conducting raids to nab the accused who had been absconding since the accident occurred.