The 20-year-old law student who rammed into two-wheelers in Gujarat’s Vadodara city in the early hours of Friday, killing a woman and injuring several others, spoke to the media on Saturday, March 15, and blamed airbags for the accident.
Speaking to media, Rakshit Chaurasiya said that he was driving at a speed of 50-60 kmph at the time of the accident. “We were going ahead of a scooty, we were turning right and there was a pothole on the road. There was a scooty and a car parked near the right turn. Our car touched the scooter and the airbags opened. After that I couldn’t tell where the car went,” he said.
When asked if he was intoxicated while driving, he denied, but later admitted of consuming bhaang (an edible preparation made from the leaves of the cannabis plant).
He further said that he wanted to meet the family of the woman who died in the accident. “I was told that one woman has died and a few have sustained injuries. I want to meet the family of the victims, it is my fault and whatever they want should happen,” he said.
Chaurasiya was in the driver’s seat while his friend Mit Chauhan was co-driver. They were returning from Dera Circle after dropping a friend after witnessing Holika Dahan, a bonfire lit on the eve of Holi.
The accident resulted in the loss of life of Hemaliben Patel and seriously injuring four others – Jaini, 12, Nishaben, 35, an unidentified 10-year-old girl and another 40-year-old man.
Chaurasia’s interaction with the media even as he is under police custody has sparked outrage from social media users. A user named wrote on X, “Is He Now Released From Police Custody? A Brutal Crime Accused Is Holding A Press Meet.”
“And even if He is not released, The Same Question remains: Who Gave Permission to hold a press meet to an accused?” he asked.
“This is very shocking, police arrested & released Rakshit Ravish Chaurasia. He is studying law at MS University, killed one woman & injured 7 others after crashing his car into multiple 2-wheelers. Looks like Essay is downloading,” another post read.
