Guj Cong MLA's son-in-law booked after his SUV kills 6 persons

Police have registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against the son-in-law of a Congress MLA in Gujarat after his sports utility vehicle rammed into an autorickshaw and a motorcycle, killing six persons, officials said on Friday.

The accident had occurred on Thursday evening near Sojitra village on a state highway connecting Anand town with Tarapur, they said, adding that the six victims included three women.

"The accused has been identified as Ketan Padhiyar, the son-in-law of Congress MLA from Sojitra Assembly seat, Punambhai Parmar. Padhiyar is currently under treatment at a private hospital in Anand as he also sustained injuries in the incident," Sojitra police station sub inspector A P Parmar said.

"Padhiyar is under our observation and will be arrested once he gets discharge from the hospital. In the meantime, we have sent his blood samples for an analysis to check if he was under the influence of alcohol while driving his vehicle," he added.

The six deceased were residents of Sojitra and Boriyavi villages in the district, local police officials said.

Padhiyar, who was allegedly driving the SUV, fled after abandoning the vehicle at the spot. But he was later traced and caught, district Superintendent of Police Ajit Rajian said.

"The driver of the SUV (Padhiyar) has been booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder under section 304 of the Indian Penal Code," he said.