Bihar: Cops say BJP leader owns SUV that ran over nine students

Nine children of Dharampur middle school were killed by the speeding SUV when the students were crossing the national highway on their way back home, triggering outrage in the area.

bihar suv, bihar accident, bihar school children, bihar road accident, Sitamarhi BJP leader Manoj Baitha, bihar suv crash

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar assured “strict action against the guilty.”

An SUV that ran over nine students and injured around 20 outside a government-run school at Minapur in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district on Saturday belonged to Sitamarhi BJP leader Manoj Baitha, the police have said. They, however, said they were investigating if Baitha was in the vehicle when the accident took place.

Nine children of Dharampur middle school were killed by the speeding SUV when the students were crossing the national highway on their way back home, triggering outrage in the area. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar assured “strict action against the guilty.”

According to police, three persons fled the spot after the car hit a tree after knocking down the children, aged between seven and 13 years. They are examining a video clip of the incident telecast by a news channel. Police sources said CCTV footage obtained from a toll tax point at Runi Saidpur in Sitamarhi, about 35 km from the accident spot, reportedly showed Baitha sitting in the car at 12.38 pm. The accident took place around 1.30 pm.
The district transport office confirmed that the SUV was registered in the name of Baitha.

SSP Vivek Kumar said a case of negligent driving had been lodged against unknown persons. “We are talking to local residents,” he said, adding that police did not have “conclusive clues” if Baitha was in the car when the mishap took place.

Confirming that Baitha was a functionary with the party’s Sitamarhi district unit, Bihar BJP spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan said: “What we have learnt so far is that Baitha was not in the vehicle.” Leader of Opposition in Assembly, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, has accused the BJP of trying to shield its leader. “There seems to be an attempt to shield Manoj Baitha.”

Baitha could not be contacted for his comments.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Tags:
Bihar