New Delhi: Even as Delhi Police have faulted the driver of the Indica car that crashed into Union minister Gopinath Munde’s vehicle, eyewitnesses and police sources have narrated a different version of events.
Circumstantial evidence, specially skid marks discovered a little before the spot where the accident took place, seem to imply that it was actually Munde’s driver who seemed to be culpable. Senior police officers said the versions of both drivers were being scrutinised to gain clarity on the actual series of events.
“Looking at the 31-feet-long brake marks left by the Indica, it is clear that the driver had acquired his regular speed after seeing that the traffic signal was green. It was to save the minister’s car, which suddenly came in his way, that he applied the brakes,” said a police source privy to the investigation.
It Is learnt that the traffic signal where the accident took place was programmed to remain green for a mere 15-second interval, which one of the drivers evidently misjudged, jumped and triggered the collision.
Gurvinder Singh — the driver of the ‘errant’ Indica — too told the police that the signal had turned green and that was why he had chosen to drive past. Police sources also said that Munde’s permanent driver is on leave and the one who is behind the wheel was just filling in for him.
Eyewitnesses said that the police’s version that made Singh seemingly at fault was untrue.
An employee of a petrol pump located near the accident spot told HT that Singh had halted immediately after the collision and had made no attempt to flee.
“Unlike what is being reported, it was the driver of Indica who offered water to the union minister after the accident,” said the eyewitness.
“Munde’s car stopped for a moment after the accident and immediately sped away after he drank water given to him by the driver of the Indica (Singh),” he added.
Meanwhile, Gurvinder’s landlord and neighbours became aware of Gurvinder Singh’s existence only after several journalists thronged the locality, asking for the whereabouts of the man “who had crashed his car into Union minister Gopinath Munde’s car, leading to the latter’s death”.
Described by his landlord as a soft-spoken, humble person, Singh claimed it was Munde’s driver who jumped the traffic signal and caused the crash.
Singh claimed Munde’s driver fled the spot after which he called the police control room. Singh was arrested from the accident spot only after it was confirmed that Munde was travelling in the other car and he was pronounced dead on arrival at AIIMS.
A native of Nawanshahr in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district, Singh lives in a two-room flat on the first floor of a three-storey building owned by Jaspal Singh, who also works with the same hotel where Singh is attached as a driver.
His landlord’s son Harpreet Singh said Gurvinder is unmarried and his parents died some years ago. “Singh stays in our flat with his younger brother and we can guarantee that he will never break any law as he is a man of discipline. Moreover, he was on leave on Monday and stayed home the whole day. So, the possibility of him being deprived of sleep is totally ruled out. Had he been at fault, he would not have stayed at the accident spot or called the police,” said Harpreet.
“We came to know about Munde’s death through the news channels. The name of Gurvinder Singh was being flashed as the accused driver. But it was only around 11 am, I got to know that the errant driver lived in our neighbourhood as a tenant. We rarely saw him as he used to stay home and not mingle much with others,” said a neighbour.