In a high-profile incident that has stirred Raipur, the son of a former Union Minister and sitting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator was arrested on Tuesday in connection with a severe hit-and-run case. The accused, 34-year-old Balwant Singh alias Lucky, is the son of Chhattisgarh BJP MLA Renuka Singh, who previously served as a Union minister. The accident, which occurred in the early hours of Monday, left a 34-year-old DJ in critical condition.
Details of the Accident and Arrest
The incident took place at Salasar Chowk on the Ring Road in Raipur around 1 am on Monday. According to police officials, Balwant Singh was allegedly driving his friend's car at a high speed of approximately 80-100 kmph with three friends as passengers. The victim, Tribhuvan Thakur, was returning home after working at an event when he was taking a left turn.
Police stated that the car violently rammed into Thakur's motorcycle. The impact was so severe that Thakur was thrown off his bike and then dragged along by the car for several metres. Allegedly, the car then attempted to flee the scene but crashed into a divider nearly 2 km away from the accident site.
An officer from the Telibandha police station confirmed the gravity of the victim's injuries, stating, "The victim has suffered grievous injuries on his head, ribs, legs and back. He is in a critical condition." Balwant Singh was subsequently arrested on Tuesday evening and, during interrogation, confessed to driving the car at the time of the accident. The friend who owns the vehicle also corroborated that he had lent it to Singh.
Bail Granted and Ongoing Investigation
Following his arrest, Balwant Singh was granted bail from the police station itself. This was because the initial charges pressed against him were bailable. He secured his release after signing a personal bond of Rs 50,000 along with a guarantor.
The police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Singh under BNS sections 125 (a) for endangering personal safety of others and 281 for rash and negligent driving. However, a senior police officer indicated that the case is far from closed. "Once the final report on the victim’s health is received, appropriate sections will be added in the case," the officer said, hinting that more serious charges could be applied depending on Thakur's medical prognosis.
Mysterious CCTV Failure Before Incident
Adding a layer of controversy to the case, police revealed a significant technical anomaly. The CCTV cameras installed near the accident site had reportedly stopped functioning due to a technical error at midnight—exactly one hour before the hit-and-run occurred at 1 am. This failure has raised questions about the availability of crucial visual evidence.
The case continues to develop as investigators await the victim's detailed medical reports and examine all circumstances surrounding the crash, including the unexplained CCTV outage. The incident has put a spotlight on road safety and accountability in the state capital.
