Guwahati, April 28: Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Jayanta Sarathi Bora on April 28 outlined key findings in the investigation into the fatal road accident in Mathgharia that claimed the lives of three young women.
Addressing a press briefing, Bora said the injured victims were first taken to Gate Hospital immediately after the crash. He added that the driver was not found at the scene, although the vehicle’s driver-side door was discovered open.
Police identified the vehicle owner as Pankaj Kumar Dutta, who had rented the car to Bhargav Deka. The accused driver, Shamim Ahmed, had reportedly taken the vehicle from Deka earlier that day.
Investigators said GPS data proved crucial in reconstructing the sequence of events. The vehicle was first traced near Rudraksh Mall around 11:00 PM, where it remained stationary before resuming movement at approximately 3:00 AM. CCTV footage confirmed that Ahmed and the three women spent nearly five hours at a rooftop bar inside the mall, with a bill amounting to around Rs 19,000.
After leaving the location, the vehicle travelled across major city routes including GS Road, RG Baruah Road and Mother Teresa Road. According to police, the car reached a top speed of 130 km/h during the journey. At 4:02 AM, when the accident occurred, it was travelling at approximately 96 km/h before crashing into the rear of a stationary truck.
Following the collision, Ahmed allegedly fled and attempted to evade arrest. Police said he first travelled to Shillong, where he altered his appearance, before moving through Sivasagar and Dibrugarh, with plans to cross into Arunachal Pradesh. He has since been detained and is under investigation.
Bora also confirmed that the truck driver involved in the incident has been arrested. Authorities are examining multiple aspects of the case, including vehicle usage, parking violations and the potential misuse of a privately registered vehicle for commercial purposes.
