A 35-year-old passenger on an app-based motorcycle taxi died after a Range Rover collided with the bike near Shilaj in Ahmedabad. Police identified the alleged driver as Raghavendra Kushwaha, the nephew of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Dineshsinh Kushwaha. He was arrested and later released on bail, police said.

The passenger, Harshadkumar Purbia, was taken to Sola Civil Hospital and then transferred to Marengo CIMS Hospital, where he died from his injuries. The motorcycle rider, Pradeep Kumar Darwal, survived with injuries and filed a police complaint later that afternoon, identifying a Range Rover as the vehicle involved.

Reports differ on when the crash happened

The accounts disagree on the date and time. Hindustan Times reported that the collision happened at about 6:45am on Wednesday, November 11. Gujarat Samachar placed it early on Friday, November 13, at around 7am. The reports do not resolve the discrepancy.

The accounts also differ in how they describe the collision. Gujarat Samachar, citing preliminary police information, described the Range Rover as speeding. Deputy superintendent of police Neelam Goswami told Hindustan Times that, according to the motorcycle rider, the bike was turning right at a crossing as the Range Rover approached from the other direction. She said both drivers apparently expected the other to slow down. The exact sequence of events and responsibility for the crash have not been established in the reports.

Police say driver left the scene

Police said the driver left after the collision. Kushwaha said he did so because he feared for his safety at the scene; Hindustan Times reported that it was unclear why he did not later go to a police station. Goswami said the intersection had no CCTV camera, but officers traced the car using footage from other areas and found Kushwaha at his home the following morning. The Range Rover was registered in his mother’s name.

Police said they had no evidence so far that Kushwaha was drunk. Hindustan Times reported that he was released on bail because the offences he was booked for carry a maximum prison term of less than seven years. Police also issued him a notice under Section 35(3) of India’s Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, requiring him to appear for questioning when arrest is not considered necessary.

Gujarat Samachar reported that police seized the Range Rover for mechanical and forensic inspection and were checking whether Kushwaha had been involved in previous road accidents. Further inquiries into the collision were ongoing, the report said.