Food delivery agent killed as Audi car rams two-wheeler in Pune; driver held

According to police, the Audi car was driven by Ayush Pradip Tayal, 34, a Hadapsar resident who runs a family member’s company in Ranjangaon.

A senior police officer said that Tayal’s blood samples have been sent to check if he was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident.

Rauf Shaikh, 21, worked as a food delivery boy.

R Raja, Deputy Commissioner of Police, said Tayal was travelling from ABC Road towards Tadi Gutta Chowk when his car first knocked down a two-wheeler at around 1.30 am. The three people riding the vehicle received minor injuries.

The car then hit another two-wheeler, the police said, adding that the impact was such that the rider Shaikh was severely injured. He was rushed to a hospital in Hadapsar where he succumbed to injuries, the police said.

#WATCH | Maharashtra | A two-wheeler-riding food delivery executive, Rauf Shaikh died after being hit by a luxury car in Mundhwa area of Pune city around 2 am today. Ayush Tayal, driver of the car fled the scene immediately after the accident but was subsequently detained by the… pic.twitter.com/0YpcoU4bu1

— ANI (@ANI) October 11, 2024

Though Tayal fled the spot, a police team checked CCTV footage and traced the licence plate number of his vehicle. Subsequently, he was arrested from his Hadapsar house, police said.

An FIR was lodged against Tayal at Mundhwa police station under section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), and other relevant sections of the of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

On Friday afternoon, police produced the accused before the Cantonment Court which remanded himin police custody till October 13 for further investigation.

Family demands justice

Rauf Shaikh’s funeral took place at Shinde Vasti in Hadapsar.

Chand Shaikh, Rauf’s uncle, said, “Rauf was from a poor family working as a delivery boy for the last two months. The accident happened when he was on his way for the last delivery.”

“Police have been helpful to us, but now we want justice. Some action needs to be taken. How many cases of rich killing the poor will we see? Hit-and-run cases, rape cases are increasing in the city. What has happened to the law and order?” Chand said.

In May this year, two IT engineers, Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta, lost their lives after they were hit by a Porsche allegedly driven by a minor.