IAF officer killed in Kolkata: Accused Sambia Sohrab admits that he was driving

Sambia Sohrab, the main accused in a hit-and-run case, on Friday confessed that he was driving the Audi that killed an IAF officer on January 13 during a Republic Day parade rehearsal here, as per PTI.

Kolkata: Sambia Sohrab, the main accused in a hit-and-run case, on Friday confessed that he was driving the Audi that killed an IAF officer during a Republic Day parade rehearsal here, as per PTI.  

Sambia, son of former Rashtriya Janata Dal legislator Mohammad Sohrab, driving his Audi car is alleged to have broken through police barricades before fatally knocking down Indian Air Force corporal Abhimanyu Gaud as he was supervising the rehearsals on the Indira Gandhi Sarani.

Earlier in the week, in a video posted on YouTube, Johnny, the third person to be arrested in the case, claimed that Sambia was heavily drunk and that he had a brawl with friends before he took the wheel of the car and allegedly knocked down Gaud.

Shanu alias Sahanawaz was held from New Delhi on Sunday night, a day after prime accused Sambia Sohrab was nabbed here.

Both Shanu and Johnny were said have been with him on the night before Sambia allegedly mowed down Gaud.

Accused of several offences, including murder, Sambia who was arrested four days after the accident, is now under police custody. The prosecution has also accused him of hitting another soldier before ramming his car into Gaud.

The case has created a political storm with the opposition parties claiming that police delayed Sambia's arrest as his father was a leader of West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress.

However, the Trinamool has denied its links with Sohrab and pointed out that he had become a state legislator in 2006 with support from the Communist Party of India-Marxist led Left Front.

The Indian Air Force, which is also probing the matter, too earlier claimed "vested interests" were thwarting the probe.

(With Agency inputs)