Vadodara car crash: court orders ‘immediate release’ of co-accused Praanshu Chauhan from ‘illegal detention’

The court order came after Chauhan filed a petition alleging “illegal detention” at the Karelibaug police station, which is investigating the case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against Chaurasiya.

Chauhan contended in his petition that he was arrested on April 5, 2025, purportedly in connection with Chaurasiya’s accident case. He said, “I was illegally detained in custody at the Karelibaug Police Station since April 3 at around 12 pm and was further illegally detained in police custody for the whole night on April 3, without informing me of the reasons behind such a detention.”

Chauhan said he was then transferred to the Warasiya police station, where the NDPS case was lodged against him after the FSL report confirmed the presence of drugs in the blood samples of Chaurasiya, Chahuan, and a third friend, Suresh Bharwad. Chauhan contended he was “arrested and released on bail” as per the provisions of the NDPS Act, but was” again shifted to Karelibaug Police Station where he was detained illegally for long hours.”

Chauhan also contended he had allegedly “been illegally detained on the night of March 13, 2024”, following the accident after being picked up from his residence, and was allegedly “continuously kept in illegal custody until 11 pm on March 18.”

Advocate Hitesh Gupta, who is representing Chauhan in the case, said the Karelibaug police arrested Chauhan as a co-accused in the case of the accident against Chaurasiya, despite initially presenting him as a prime witness in the case. Gupta said, “The action of the Vadodara police raises pertinent questions on whether they are attempting to weaken the case against Chaurasiya. While Chauhan was the main eyewitness in the Karelibaug car crash and even recorded his statement before the magistrate after the accident, he has now been made an accused in the case… It appears that they want to water down the case against Chaursaiya by erroneous actions that will favour the accused.”

Gupta added, “The Karelibaug police station detained Praanshu illegally for seven days (after the accident on March 13). They did so to prevent Praanshu from interacting with the media and giving out the true story, while Chaurasiya was allowed to interact with the media even in custody. On the night of March 13, Praanshu was detained at around 2.30 am and was kept at the Karelibaug police station until March 19, and they even coerced Praanshu to record a statement before the magistrate as a prime witness…”

Gupta accused the Vadodara city police of forcing Chauhan to report to the police station every day from March 19, alleging his client was detained from 10 am until 11 pm daily and “made to sign documents in Gujarati, which he is not well-versed with”. Gupta said, “On April 2, at around 11.30 pm, the police reached Praanshu’s house and asked him to report to the police station on April 3. When he went with his mother, he was told that the police had to conduct a measurement of the road that Rakshit and Praanshu had taken on the night of the accident. But he was detained without being given the reason”.

“Later, he was taken to the Warasiya police station, where a separate FIR was lodged under the NDPS Act Section 27(A), which deals with financing and illicit trafficking… When the Warasiya police inspector realised the folly, he changed the section to 27(a) of the NDPS Act, which prescribes punishment for consumption. As it is a bailable offence, Praanshu was granted bail, but within minutes, he was taken away by the Karelibaug police and arrested in the March 13 case.”

While the Vadodara police commissioner and investigating officers in the case did not respond to Chauhan’s allegations, Gupta said the Vadodara court has directed the police to file a reply on the matter on the next date of hearing on April 8.

Meanwhile, the Karelibaug police nabbed Bharwad from the Palasner village in Maharashtra Sunday. Bharwad, who is also an accused in the NDPS case, was handed over to the Warasiya police station.

According to the police, Chaurasiya, Chauhan, and Bharwad allegedly smoked marijuana at the rented residence of Bharwad on the night of March 13, after which Chauhan and Chaurasiya took off in the Volkswagen Virtus, which belongs to Chauhan’s father, when Chaurasiya allegedly crashed the car.