Thar Driver Held After Deliberate Attack on Elderly Man

SRINAGAR: Jammu Police on Wednesday said to have arrested an accused in the Gandhi Nagar road rage incident after a 72-hour-long chase by the six specially constituted teams.

The victim, whose condition is stated to be critical, has been shifted to Fortis Hospital in Chandigarh for treatment.

“Accused Thar driver, Mannan Anand, son of Rajinder Anand of House number 62, Sec 4, Nanak Nagar, Jammu, who was absconding in a case under FIR number 163/2025 under sections 281, 125(a), and 109 BNS has been arrested by Police Station Gandhi Nagar,” the Jammu and Kashmir Police said.

Earlier, the 21-year-old engineering student, who is the son of an “influential” contractor, hit the old man identified as Kamalkant Dutta, 68, of Gandhi Nagar twice on Sunday afternoon around 1.30 pm. The CCTV footage of the incident has gone viral on social media.

In the footage, it is seen that the speeding Thar first collided with the scooty from the opposite direction, resulting in the victim falling. The car driver is then seen deliberately driving in reverse, hitting the old man for the second time, resulting in serious injuries to the victim.

Jammu Police, late Tuesday, issued a statement mentioning that section 109 (Attempt to murder) of BNSS has been invoked against the accused.

“As per initial information received from a reliable source, a Mahindra Thar bearing Jammu registration number being driven in a rash and negligent manner from Gandhi Nagar towards Green Belt Park, collided with a scooty near Allora Textiles, Green Belt Park, at approximately 1.30 pm. The scooty, which was coming from the opposite direction, was struck by the Thar, resulting in injuries to the rider. The injured individual was shifted to GMC Jammu by passers-by, while the Thar driver fled from the spot,” the statement reads.

On this basis, FIR was registered under Sections 281 and 125(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNSS) at Gandhi Nagar police station. However, CCTV footage of the incident was obtained and the statement of an eyewitness was recorded, which revealed a more serious aspect of the case, police said.

“It came to light that after the initial collision, the driver of the Thar reversed the vehicle and deliberately hit the victim again, resulting in grievous injuries. In light of the statement recorded and other material evidence collected, Section 109 of BNS is being invoked,” it added.

The vehicle has been seized. The owner of the vehicle, the accused’s father, has been detained for questioning, and a manhunt is underway to trace and arrest the driver, who is presently absconding, it stated.

Meanwhile, Regional Transport Officer Jasbir Singh in Jammu informed that the registration of the vehicle has been suspended and the Thar car has been blacklisted.

He further said that it has been found from the records that the accused does not have a valid driving licence. “We checked our records and found that the driving licence of accused person has not been issued, and we have decided that it will not be issued, even if he has applied,” the RTO Jammu said.

Meanwhile, the 68-year-old victim, who suffered severe head injuries due to reckless driving, has been shifted to Fortis Hospital in Punjab after his condition reportedly worsened.

The family of the victim demanded severe punishment for the accused involved in the incident. (KNO)