UP minister’s SUV mows down vendor in Hardoi, drunk driver held

The driver, identified only as Mohit, was returning to Lucknow after dropping Yadav — the Samajwadi Party MLA from Badaun’s Sehswan constituency — at his native place in Badaun district when the incident occurred.

The victim, Madan Kumar, was returning home after work when the speeding SUV hit his cart and ran over him at Ram Nagar locality around 9 pm. Kumar was the sole earning member of his family of nine, which includes his wife, children and parents, said police.

“Locals gathered at the spot and thrashed Mohit. They also pelted stones at the vehicle before trying to set it on fire, when a police team arrived,” said Superintendent of Police, Hardoi, Rajiv Malhotra.

“The driver was inebriated and a liquor bottle was recovered from the SUV,” he added.

“We have arrested the driver. A case under various sections of the IPC including charges of causing death and drunken driving has been lodged against him. He was produced in court, which sent him to jail on Tuesday,” said Malhotra.

The district administration has announced Rs 5 lakh in financial aid for the victim’s family.