india

Updated: Oct 18, 2019 00:39 IST

BJP MLA Rahul Lodhi’s driver was arrested in connection with an accident that killed two bike-borne villagers in Madhya Pradesh’s Tikamgarh district on October 7 and their third companion, who succumbed to his injuries in a Jhansi hospital, on Wednesday.

MLA’s driver Vijay Yadav was arrested despite claims by eyewitnesses that it was Lodhi who was driving the vehicle that crashed into the bike.

Based on eyewitness’ accounts, Rahul Lodhi was booked for causing death by negligence, rash driving and endangering life or personal safety of others and a special team was constituted to probe the accident.

Lodhi, who is a nephew of former Union minister and MP Chief Minister Uma Bharti, has said that he was not in the SUV when the accident took place but was waiting to be picked about 20 kilometres away from the accident site.

The SIT in charge Suresh Shejwal said, “The driver Vijay Yadav was arrested on the basis of CCTV footage on Wednesday night. However, he is claiming that he was passing by the accident site in the SUV of Lodhi and was not involved in the accident.”

Shejwal said his team was verifying the claims made by Yadav and that of Lodhi with the help of his mobile location.

Lodhi had claimed that he was at Futera, about 20 km from the accident site and that his driver had passed by it when coming to pick him up.

Brijendra Ahirwar, 26, Nandram Ahirwar, 30, both residents of Barethi village had died on the spot in the October 7 accident, their co-rider 19-year-old Madan Ahirwar, was the third to die on Wednesday late night at the Government Medical College at Jhansi,

Madan Ahirwar’s brother Kashiram Ahirwar, who is also an eyewitness, said, “In the past 10 days, nobody came to us to help my injured brother. We know that police are trying to shield MLA Rahul Lodhi and that’s why they have arrested his driver to suppress the matter but we will not keep mum. We will fight against this injustice.”