Tragedy in Khandwa: 2 dead, 3 injured in crash over alleged 'love angle'

Khandwa/Shivpuri (Madhya Pradesh) [India], April 17 : What initially appeared to be a tragic road accident in Madhya Pradesh's Khandwa district has taken a dark turn as local police launch a high-stakes investigation into a targeted case of 'love angle'.

Two people were killed and three others seriously injured when a speeding SUV rammed into another car, an incident authorities now suspect was a deliberate act linked to a personal dispute.

The crash occurred late Thursday night within the Khandwa district limits. According to eyewitnesses, an overspeeding SUV pursued and eventually collided with a smaller passenger vehicle with significant force.

According to the police, the accident took place near Kenud village in the district on Thursday. Though prima facie the case appeared to be the result of anger stemming from a relationship issue.

While the SUV driver initially fled the scene, preliminary findings have led the police to move beyond a simple "rash driving" charge.

As per the information, the accused was involved in a romantic relationship with a woman, and her wedding was finalised elsewhere. The accused did not want the wedding to take place, and consequently, just two days before the accident, he had even threatened the family members with death. The family also lodged a complaint against the accused at the Mundi Police Station.

The accused, travelling in SUV, allegedly hit a car in which the woman, along with her family, was travelling, in which the woman's brother and mother were killed, while three others were injured. The act seemed to be a premeditated crime.

Khandwa DIG Manoj Kumar Rai told reporters, "Yesterday, an incident was reported on Dial 112 about a woman whose family allegedly wouldn't let her leave her home. Acting on the info, the police reached her home and found that no such incident had happened; the woman and her family were preparing to travel somewhere. They told the police that they would move through the police station road and record their statement to confirm no such incident had taken place."

"In the meantime, it came to light that the woman had a prior relationship with a tile shop owner located in Mundi. When the tile shop owner learned that the woman was going somewhere, he apparently drove his Thar vehicle and collided head-on with the vehicle in which the woman was travelling. The woman's vehicle fell into a ditch, leading to the death of the woman's brother and mother," the officer said.

"The police investigated the matter, finding the accident suspicious and prima facie it appeared the incident had been intentional to kill the family. Following which, today, a legal action against the accused is being carried out," he added.

In a separate incident, five people, including two women, were injured after a recklessly driven vehicle hit a bike and women walking on foot in the Karera area of Shivpuri district on Thursday. The accused has been identified as Dinesh Lodhi, son of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA, Preetam Lodhi.

"An accident involving a vehicle occurred in which five people, including two women, were injured. Upon learning about the incident, the Karera police station registered a case into the matter, confiscated the vehicle and took legal action against the accused Dinesh Lodhi," said Sanjeev Mule, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Shivpuri.

No casualty was reported in the accident. Medical check-ups of the injured were performed, and all of them were in a stable state, he added.

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