Vadodara car crash: Law student blames pothole, denies drunk driving
Vadodara: A 20-year-old law student, Rakshit Chaurasia, who rammed a speeding car into two-wheelers in Vadodara on the night of March 13, resulting in the death of a woman and injuries to four others, has blamed a pothole for the accident. Speaking to the media, Chaurasia denied being intoxicated and claimed he was driving at 50 km/h when an airbag deployment obstructed his vision.
“We were turning right when we encountered a pothole. A scooty and another car were ahead of us. The car slightly touched the other vehicle, the airbag deployed, and we lost control,” Chaurasia told ANI. He claimed he had not consumed alcohol and had attended a Holika Dahan event before the incident. “I want to meet the victim’s family. It is my fault, and whatever they decide should happen,” he added.
The accident took place around 12:30 am near Muktanand crossroads in the Karelibaug area. Eyewitnesses reported that the vehicle took a sharp turn before crashing into two-wheelers. CCTV footage shows the car moving at high speed.
A video from the scene, which went viral on social media, shows Chaurasia behaving erratically, shouting "Another round, another round," followed by a woman’s name and chanting "Om Namah Shivay." Eyewitnesses told the police that he appeared intoxicated.
Chaurasia, originally from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, resides in a PG accommodation in Vadodara. His father is a businessman. The vehicle, a Volkswagen Virtus GT Plus with registration number GJ06RA687, belonged to his friend Meet Chauhan, who was in the co-driver’s seat during the crash. Police are trying to locate Chauhan.
Chaurasia has been arrested, and further investigation is underway.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
