Speeding car kills IAF officer at parade rehearsal

The brand new white Audi broke three guard rails and barged into the parade rehearsal on the Red Road at about 6.30 am and killed 21-yearold Corporal Abhimanyu Gaud, the Air Force drill instructor who was supervising the parade. The road is normally closed for traffic during the rehearsal in the morning hours but the car sped towards the officer, knocked him off his feet and continued to move at high speed till it hit a barricade and came to a halt, a defence official said. 

The Air Force personnel sustained injuries and was rushed to Eastern Command Hospital where the doctors declared him dead. The driver left the car and fled. 

Describing the death of the officer as “unfortunate”, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ordered “strict and strong action” against the person responsible for the mishap. 

Though nobody has been arrested so far in connection with the accident, after examining the challan, sleuths of the Kolkata Police got the address of the showroom from where the car was bought and finally the details of the owner.”As per showroom records, the car has been registered against a company which belongs to former RJD MLA Mohammed Sohrab. And the showroom records show the car purchased for Rs 90 lakh belonged to Sohrab’s son Ambia Sohrab,” an officer said.