Speeding car kills Air Force officer, Mamata Banerjee orders strong action

Gaud had come to Kolkata as he was the drill instructor of the IAF contingent that will participate in the Republic Day parade in the city this year.

The 21-year-old was rushed to a hospital but was declared brought dead.

The Air Force personnel was a resident of Surat in Gujarat and posted in Kalaikunda Air Force Base in West Bengal, a defence official said.

The police said the driver left the auto on Red Road and ran away.

“There has been laxity, somebody has not done his duty”.

“A brand new Audi Q7 SUV being driven recklessly by its sole occupant appeared from nowhere and rammed through three barricades in a row before hitting the airman”, eyewitnesses said. “But the dealer has delivered the vehicle with it to the customer which is illegal”, an officer at the regional transport office said.

He recalled the incident of the killing of a Sub-Inspector of Kolkata Police in February 2013 by goons owing allegiance to a TMC leader of the Kolkata Port area. As per the evidence collected so far, there was only one person in the auto when the crime took place’. “We are sharing this information with police as there have reports that the investigators think there may be more than one people in the vehicle”, added Birdi. Also, a manhunt has been launched to nab the driver, said a police official.

With the former legislator subsequently joining the Trinamool, CPI-M Rajya Sabha member Ritabrata Banerjee accused the administration of going soft on the issue. “And it belongs to MLA’s son Ambiar”, an officer said. “At 5 am on Thursday, a funeral parade was conducted at the Eastern Command Hospital to bid farewell to Corporal Gaud”.

The victim’s family has demanded stringent punishment for the guilty. We will take strong action.

The officer’s brother Bajrangi Gaud said his soul will find peace only if the culprit is punished. A team of Army and IAF personnel conducted the solemn parade, which was attended by his father Ranglal Gaud, uncle Nebulal Gaud, brother Bajrangi Gaud and his teacher since childhood Yogesh Parik.