A case was reported on 11th November, dead night that an Ahmadabad, Gujarat policemen stabbed a 23-year-old MBA student mercilessly. The victim was identified as Priyanshu Jain who stood in the second year at Mudra Institute of Communications (MICA).
According to eye witnesses, the dispute arose when two students of MICA, one of them being Priyanshu, saw a speeding four-wheeler on the roads of Bopal. Feeling threatened due to their safety, the students confronted the driver, questioning him about his speeding, “Why are you driving so fast?” Apparently harmless words had turned into an argument.
The driver of the four-wheeler, reportedly after facing a challenge, turned his vehicle around and chased the students for about 200 meters. He allegedly pulled out a knife from his car and started stabbing Priyanshu mercilessly, fatally wounding the student beside the road.
The alleged man is 37-year-old police constable Virendrasingh Padheriya of the Sarkhej police station in Ahmedabad. He had left the spot immediately after he was attacked and travelled all the way to Punjab, avoiding contact with the authorities.
The Ahmedabad Crime Branch, however did not lose any time. It immediately launched a broad investigation into the incident. A team of 13 investigators who specialize in such investigations was put together and this team fanned out to minutely scan the area, looking through more than 300 recordings of CCTV footage for material evidence.
The crime branch’s relentless efforts finally paid off when it found the criminal along with his whereabouts. Padheriya was apprehended near Sanam village on the Sangarur Patiala Road in Punjab, 800 kilometres from the spot of crime.
The untimely death of MICA scholar Priyanshu Jain has thrown the MICA community and the city of Ahmedabad into deep shock and grief. This academically brilliant and very gentle, friendly young MBA student has in his demise made a serious case for better traffic management and greater accountability measures to check on the abuse of power by law enforcement authorities.
The killing was condemned by Priyanshu’s family, criticizing the random and senseless manner in which he was murdered. “Priyanshu was a pride to our family,” said the statement. “He had worked so hard to get into MICA, and now his life has been cruelly snatched away from us. We demand justice for our son, and hopefully the perpetrator is punished to the fullest extent of law.”
The Ahmedabad police have assured the family that the case will be investigated in all its nuances and the accused will be brought to book. Padheriya, the police constable accused of murdering Priyanshu was taken into custody. He is being interrogated by the crime branch.
This tragic incident has thus thrown more light on the larger aspect of road traffic safety and better training and accountability mechanisms within the police ranks. It is thus rightly expected that experts would begin debating the implementation of stricter regulations, such as making compulsory defensive driving courses for policemen along with regular psychological tests to check if they are competent and capable enough to handle any such situation in the future.
It was a young bright life within the MICA community and all over the city that was grappling in shock with this killing, and the case has raised points on road rage and the need for it to be addressed immediately. The death of Priyanshu has become a rallying cry for increased awareness of road safety and the promotion of a more compassionate and responsible driving culture in the region.
An investigation into the murder of Priyanshu is on presently. Ahmedabad police have promised not to leave any stone unturned for this case. This development is going to bring hope to the nation as the incident would prove to be a wake-up call for some much-needed reforms and enhanced commitment toward making all citizens feel safe and well.