A 24-year-old delivery boy, named Darshan, was brutally murdered in a road rage attack in Bengaluru late on October 25. In a report by the Times of India, the incident occurred when a couple reportedly crashed their vehicle into Darshan's scooter in a rage after a minor accident dented the rear-view mirror of their vehicle earlier.
The couple accused have been identified as Manoj Kumar (32), a Kerala-based martial arts trainer in Kalaripayattu, and his wife Aarati Sharma (30) from Jammu and Kashmir. Both have been taken into custody and remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.
Also Read: Indian national allegedly stabs two teens mid-flight, flight diverted to Boston
Minor brush turns deadly
As per the Times of India report, the Police confirmed that the incident started when Darshan's scooter inadvertently touched the couple's car, slightly breaking its right-side mirror. Even after Darshan apologised and went away, Kumar reportedly lost his temper, took a U-turn, and pursued the delivery agent before intentionally ramming his car into the scooter.
Also Read: What led the 21-year-old Delhi woman to kill her partner
The effect tossed Darshan and his pillion rider, Varun, onto the road. Though both were taken to a nearby hospital, Darshan died due to his injuries. " Losing control of himself, he took a U-turn, chased the scooter, and rammed it from behind…The impact threw Darshan and his pillion rider Varun onto the road. The car didn’t stop," said a senior investigating officer to The Times of India.
CCTV footage turns hit-and-run into murder probe
The whole incident was recorded on CCTV, which later appeared online. The video depicts the car turning left and colliding with the scooter from the rear before fleeing. A longer version of the video catches the couple visiting the scene later in minutes, dressed in masks and gathering pieces of their shattered vehicle.
Also Read: Hyderabad Police bust prostitution racket at Banjara Hills hotel; 11 arrested
After the recovery of the footage, what was once seemingly a case of hit-and-run was upgraded to a case of murder and was transferred to the Puttenahalli police for investigation, Times of India reports. Kumar allegedly informed police that his wife had not been on the spot when the accident took place and had merely joined him later to pick up car parts. However, officials are confirming the statement as investigations continue.
