Five people were arrested in a hit-and-run case in Hyderabad’s upscale Jubilee Hills area, for allegedly killing a 35-year-old man named Lingala Taraka Ram who was riding his two-wheeler in the early morning on Wednesday, January 24. The main accused, Kovvoori Ruthvik Reddy (21), is accused of drinking and driving a Hyundai Verna around 5 am on January 24. The incident happened near Road No 36, Jubilee Hills.
According to the Jubilee Hills police, on the night of Tuesday, January 23, Ruthvik picked up his friends in his brother-in-law’s car to celebrate his new job. After driving around various parts of the city, they reached the Durgam Cheruvu area where his office is located. Police said they found CCTV footage of the accused buying beer. After having biryani at an early morning outlet around 4 am, Ruthvik drove towards Road No 36 in a rash and negligent manner in a drunken state, said Jubilee Hills Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Katta Hari Prasad.
CCTV footage of the accident showed the victim Taraka Ram and the pillion rider Yesu Raju being flung off their bike after the car hit them. According to the police, Taraka Ram suffered a fatal head injury and died on the spot while Yesu Raju has been hospitalised with injuries. Police said Ruthvik and his friends fled the scene and went to his cousin Suresh’s house where they parked the car. Suresh then allegedly drove them back to the scene of the accident, where they saw police personnel and fled again, the ACP said. Suresh has also been added as an accused in the case, but is currently absconding.
Suresh then drove Ruthvik and his friends back to his house, and they all returned to their respective homes, the police said. Ruthvik was arrested on January 25, along with the four others who were in the car – Vaishnavi, Lokeshwar Rao, Abhilash and Aniketh – for enabling drunk driving and abetting Ruthvik. All the five accused are in their early 20s.
Ruthvik has been booked under section 304 (ii) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and the others have been booked under section 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The case was registered based on a complaint filed by the sister of the deceased, Leelavathi.