Foreign national killed in Lutyens' Delhi as Bentley driven by Ponty Chadha’s nephew smashes into auto

A 51-year-old foreign national was killed and three persons were critically injured on Monday after a speeding Bentley car hit a stationary autorickshaw in Lutyens' Delhi, police said. The incident took place around 1.32 pm after which police rushed to the spot, they added. The victim was identified as Turkmenistan national Gulshat Alijanova, police said.

The injured are Raghubir Singh, the auto-driver and a resident of Sangam Vihar, and Turkmenistan nationals Alma Gul Atayeba (33) and Gulia Yyam (55), they said. The speeding luxury car was being driven by 19-year-old Asees Singh Chadha, nephew of business tycoon Ponty Chadha, they said. In 2012, Ponty Chadha was killed along with his brother after both sides fired at each other.

Asees was caught by locals after the accident and was being thrashed when the police reached the spot, a senior police officer said. Alijanova succumbed to injuries during the course of treatment while the others are undergoing treatment, he said.

A case was registered under section 279 (rash driving) and 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder, punishable with life imprisonment) of the Indian Penal Code, said Madhur Verma, Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi). Sources said the harsher section of 304 IPC was invoked since Chadha was driving a high speed which led to the death of one woman and severely injured three others.

The autorickshaw driver was also injured in the accident, which happened on Vinay Marg in Chanakyapuri, which houses several embassies, they added. The car hit a lamppost after hitting the autorickhsaw. The front portion of the car was completely damaged, while the autorickshaw was mangled after the accident, the officer said. The autorickshaw skid on the road for 30-40 feet as an impact of the accident.

At the time of the accident, the luxury car was accompanied by two Punjab police personnel, he said. The blood samples of the errant car driver did not reveal any traces of alcohol.

Asees is a resident of Chhatarpur farm, Mehrauli, he added. Police said that the victims are still unfit for statement and they have contacted the Turkmenistan Embassy to find details of the families of the women who were involved in the accident.