Kolkata Hit-and-Run Case: Accused Give Conflicting Statements

The accused have been giving contradictory versions of events, making it difficult for the police to conclude.

Sambia Sohrab, Johnny and Shahnawaz Khan (aka Sonu), the three accused in the 13 January hit-and-run case in Kolkatta, have been giving contradictory versions of events, due to which the police have not been able to reach a conclusion on the incident. Air Force officer, Abhimanyu Gaud, was mowed down by a speeding Audi, driven by Sambia, during a Republic Day parade rehearsal.

The police have been trying to reconstruct the incident and ascertain how many people were involved in the accident. Sambia, Shahnawaz and Johnny have been interoggated separately and together, but they have been giving contradictory versions of the incident, a senior police officer said.

Sambia has been lying to us since day one. We are cross checking them with Johnny and Sonu’s statements. Johnny and Sonu said they were not in the Audi, while Sambia kept repeating that the two were travelling with him in that car.

Senior officer, Kolkata Police anti-rowdy section (ARS)

Investigators took the three accused to the Red Road area where the accident occurred to try to reconstruct the incident, the officer said.

We found that they (Sambia, Sonu and Johnny) had fled together after the incident. They were together all through.They left the car and walked across the Maidan area and then hired a cab to Jorasanko in the city. Later, they went to a coffee joint at Park Street and then escaped from the state.

To help the probe investigators will need to speak to Sambia’s father, former RJD MLA Mohammed Sohrab, and his elder brother, Ambia – both of whom are absconding, the officer said.

“The question is why are they fleeing? We need to know their role in the matter. That will help our investigation,” he added.

Also read: Ambia Sohrab, Who ‘Ran Over and Killed’ the IAF Officer in Kolkata

(With PTI inputs)