Another woman surfaces in Delhi’s ghastly hit and run death case

Amid the outrage in Delhi over the death of 20-yearold Anjali Singh, who was dragged by a car for 12 km, fresh CCTV footage shows that there was another woman with her on the scooty when they left an OYO hotel just before the ghastly mishap on New Year’s eve.

According to police sources, the friend, Nidhi, fled the spot after the crash as she was scared. Anjali’s body had got stuck under the car, and she was dragged along in the hit and run case.

“The victim’s friend Nidhi is now an eyewitness in the case. Her statement is being recorded,” a senior police officer said.

Police investigations have revealed that the two friends left a hotel at 1.45 am after attending a New Year’s party. CCTV footage shows the two women coming out of the OYO hotel, not very far from the spot of the accident. They get on the scooty and leave the place.

The five men in the car have admitted that they were drunk at the time of the crash. The accused have told the police that they drove away in panic from the spot after hitting the scooty.

Deepak Khanna, who was driving the car, told police that he felt something was stuck under the car, but his friends told him to keep going.

The car allegedly drove for about 13 km, dragging the 20-year-old woman on the road. When the car was taking a U-turn at Kanjhawala, one of the accused is reported to have spotted the body. The body got detached from the car when it stopped, and the accused fled, according to the police.

An eyewitness has said that he shouted out when he saw the body being dragged, but the car did not stop. He then informed police but they did not respond.

The investigation has found that the first call to police control room, apparently from the eyewitness, was received about 2 hours after Anjali left the hotel. The damaged scooter was found half an hour later and the body was found around 4.10 am.

All five accused have been arrested and the woman’s preliminary autopsy report is expected today.

The accused have been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, rash driving and causing death by negligence.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has  directed the Police Commissioner to find out if there were any “lapses “on the part of the police in the horrifying incident.

The Lt Governor has also asked the officers to see if anyone of the victim’s family could be provided with a government job.