In a horrifying incident from Bengaluru, a couple allegedly deliberately rammed their car into the scooter of a 24-year-old food delivery agent, killing him on the spot.
The couple, a Kalaripayattu martial arts trainer and his wife, were reportedly enraged after the delivery man’s scooter brushed against the side mirror of their car, causing minor damage.
The accused couple was arrested and taken into police custody. They were taken into 14-day judicial custody.
About the victim
The victim, Darshan, worked as a food delivery boy. The sole breadwinner of the family, Darshan lived with his parents and sister in Kembattalli.
About the defendant
The accused have been identified as Manoj Kumar (32) and his wife Aarati Sharma (30).
Manoj is a martial arts trainer from Kerala and Aarati is a native of Jammu and Kashmir. The couple had been married for five years and lived in the city.
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What happened:
According to a Times of India report quoting the police, the incident took place on October 25 around 9:00 pm in Bengaluru’s Nataraja Layout area.
Darshan’s scooter accidentally brushed against the side mirror of Manoj’s car and scratched him a bit. However, Darshan, accompanied by a riding pylon friend, immediately apologized to them and proceeded to deliver the order.
But the martial arts trainer allegedly lost control and chased the scooter. “In a fit of rage, he turned and chased after them. As soon as he saw Darshan again, he accelerated and hit the scooter from behind with his car before fleeing the spot,” TOI quoted a police official as saying.
The impact threw both Darshan and his friend Varun onto the road. Passers-by helped rush the friend duo to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared that Darshan was “brought dead”. Varun reportedly survived the crash.
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Watch: Viral CCTV footage that changed the case
Initially, Darshan’s sister lodged a complaint of assault with the JP Nagar traffic police.
However, after collecting CCTV footage from the crime scene, the police realized that it was not an accident but a deliberate attack. “The footage clearly showed that the car suddenly swerved towards the scooter before hitting it. It was a deliberate act,” said a senior officer.
The case was then handed over to the Puttenahalli police, who are investigating it as a murder.
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See what the couple did next:
A shocking revelation emerged in the case when further CCTV footage showed the couple returning to the crime scene after almost 40 minutes to erase the evidence.
At around 9.40pm, CCTV footage showed the couple picking up pieces of their vehicle that had fallen in the collision. They parked their car nearby and wore masks to tamper with the evidence.
However, as they drove away, cameras reportedly captured their faces clearly.
Couple arrested on murder charges
Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Lokesh Jagalasar confirmed that both Manoj Kumar and Aarati Sharma confessed to the crime and were arrested.
During interrogation, Manoj claimed that he was alone when the incident took place and that his wife later only assisted in collecting auto parts. However, police said they would verify the claim, but arrested both on charges of murder.
