An Indore protest over short-term rentals turned deadly when a car struck a group of protesters, resulting in the death of a tech worker and critical injuries to another woman, leading to murder charges against the vehicle's occupants.
Key Points
- A female tech worker died after being struck by a car during a protest in Indore.
- The protest was against the owners of a penthouse allegedly using the premises for short-term rentals.
- The accused, Kuldeep Chaudhary and his son Mohit Chaudhary, have been arrested and booked for murder.
- CCTV footage captured the incident, showing the car driving into the group of protesters.
- The victim, Shampa Pathak Pandey, worked for a Bengaluru-based IT services firm.
A man and his son allegedly drove their car into a group of protesters, killing a female techie and critically injuring another woman during a dispute over the commercial use of their penthouse in Indore, police said.
"Shampa Pathak Pandey, a mother of two, died on Thursday while undergoing treatment at a local hospital," Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Dandotiya told PTI on Friday.
He said the incident took place around 10.30 pm on Wednesday when residents protested against penthouse owners Kuldeep Chaudhary (42) and his son Mohit Chaudhary (18) for allegedly using their premises for short-term rentals.
During the heated argument that followed, the accused allegedly ploughed their car at high speed into the group, he said.
The vehicle first hit a woman and then ran over Pandey, who suffered severe head injuries and a brain haemorrhage.
Pandey, who worked with a Bengaluru-headquartered leading IT services firm, was taken to Bombay Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries on Thursday, the official said.
The other injured woman is undergoing treatment.
The incident was captured on CCTV cameras installed in the building, located within the jurisdiction of the Lasudia police station, the official said.
Arrests and Investigation
"Kuldeep and Mohit were arrested on Thursday. Both have been booked for murder," Dandotiya said, adding that a probe is underway.
