Police file 3000-page chargesheet in Vadodara car crash case

Indian Express

10-06-2025

The Vadodara city police on Tuesday filed a 3000-page chargesheet in the March 13 Karelibaug car crash involving an MS University law student Rakshit Chaurasiya that killed one woman and left seven others injured, detailing that the car was being driven at the speed of 140 kmph and the driver did not attempt to bring the vehicle to a halt.
Apart from Chaurasiya, his friend Pranshu Chauhan was also present in the car at the time of the accident.
Relying on forensic reports, eye witness accounts as well as data shared by German car maker Volkswagen, the police filed the chargesheet in the 90-day window of the case on Tuesday.
The chargesheet, comprising statements — most of which were recorded before a magistrate — of over 100 eye witnesses also emphasises on the report received by the Vadodara city police from Volkswagen from the analysis of the Incident Data Recorder (IDR) of the high-end car. The police have emphasised that Chaurasiya was driving the car between 100-140 kmph throughout the stretch and following the crash, the car continued to speed ahead at 140 kmph leading to more damage until the automatic brakes of the car brought it to a halt.
Vadodara city Commissioner of Police Narasimha Komar, told The Indian Express, 'We have detailed the report of the FSL, which has confirmed that Chaurasiya and his co-passenger Pranshu Chauhan were under the influence of drugs. They were aware that driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is a crime, yet they took out the car'.
'Although they have been booked in a separate case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, they knowingly endangered the lives of people…' Komar said.
Komar added that the police have also detailed the findings of Volkswagen, the maker of the car involved in the crash — a Volkswagen Virtus — as the Incident Data Recorder or the black box of the vehicle had confirmed the car speed. Komar said, 'The vehicle was a high-end one and the incident data recorder confirmed that the speed was grossly in excess of 100, even at 140 kmph at some spots. We also have eye witness accounts to fortify the case against them…'
The Vadodara Sessions court on Tuesday rejected the Vadodara city police revision petition, filed against the order of a Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) court, which had, on April 6 directed 'immediate release from illegal detention' of Praanshu Chauhan, after he moved the court contending 'illegal detention' at Karelibaug police station in the NDPS case filed against him.
Additional Sessions Judge MA Tailor, on Tuesday, upheld the order of the JMFC court and dismissed the revision petition of the police, in which District Government Pleader, Vadodara, Anil Desai made submissions before the district sessions court, contending that the JMFC court had 'no jurisdiction' to issue the orders in the case.
Chauhan, who was arrested and granted bail in the NDPS case lodged against him at the Warasiya police station, had moved the court stating that Karelibaug police station 'illegally detained' him within minutes of being granted bail in the NDPS case on April 5, 2025, purportedly in connection with' Chaurasiya's accident case but he had been 'illegally detained in custody at Karelibaug Police Station since April 3 and was further illegally detained in police custody for the whole night on April 3, without informing him for the reasons of such detention.'
Chauhan has been made a co-accused in the accident. CP Komar said that the city police will explore legal options after examining the order. Komar said, 'We will go through the order in detail and seek legal opinion to see if we can appeal in a higher court… or if we should accept the order as it is.'