Mumbai: Drunk youth mows down two people

A 24-year-old management student was arrested for allegedly mowing down two pedestrians in Mumbai's suburban Andheri under the influence of alcohol, police said on Tuesday.

According to the MIDC police, the accused, Lalit Madhuprakash Sharma, was driving to his residence after attending a party at a friend's place on Monday.

When he reached close to the Vijay Nagar bridge at Marol, he suddenly lost control of the vehicle which ran over two pedestrians -- Meen Bahadur Chatri (50) and Himlal Khanal (45).

"Chatri and Khanal were walking towards Sainath Nagar in the vicinity when they were suddenly hit by the vehicle driven by Sharma from the rear," MIDC senior police inspector Suresh Hujband said.

The duo was rushed to Seven Hills hospital nearby where they were declared dead on arrival, having suffered grievous head injuries, police said.

Sharma is a resident of Raj Paradise building in Marol area of Andheri. He is employed with a courier firm and is also studying MBA.

Police said the youth was arrested under Indian Penal Code sections 279 (rash driving), 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act for driving under the influence of alcohol.

"Sharma's preliminary medical examination has confirmed that he was driving under the influence of alcohol," the officer said.