Pune: Undri Jogger Death Case – Accused Charged for Tampering Evidence after SUV Number Plates Removed After Crash

Undri, 4th April 2025: The Kalepadal police have added fresh charges against a farmer accused in Tuesday’s fatal hit-and-run incident in Undri, in which a jogger was killed.

The accused, Sameer Ganesh Kad (32), allegedly removed the number plates of his SUV after the crash to mislead investigators, police said on Thursday.

Another suspect, Darshan Sadashiv Chavan (21), a resident of Bhintadenagar at Hole Vasti in Undri, was also arrested for allegedly aiding Kad in destroying evidence. Both were produced before Judicial Magistrate First Class Prachi Rathod, who remanded them in police custody till April 5.

The incident took place early Tuesday morning when Sujitkumar Basantprasad Singh, a security firm manager, was fatally struck while jogging near the compound wall of Nyati Ebony Society.

“Our investigation revealed that the vehicle involved, a Tata Nexon, had its number plates deliberately removed after the crash,” said Senior Police Inspector Mansing Patil.

“This action amounts to destruction of evidence, and we have accordingly added Section 238(A) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) to the charges.”

Earlier, Kad was booked under Section 105 of the BNS for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, as he fled the scene without reporting the accident or assisting the injured victim.

Sub-Inspector Anil Nimbalkar, the case’s investigating officer, stated that Chavan was in the passenger seat at the time of the incident.
“When Kad lost control of the SUV at a turn and struck the victim, Chavan allegedly urged him to drive away quickly,” Nimbalkar said.

“Following the incident, they hid the vehicle in Autadewadi, Handewadi, and removed its number plates to avoid detection.”

In court, Assistant Public Prosecutor Jyoti Waghmare argued that the accused needed to be interrogated in custody to recover the SUV’s number plates and identify any other individuals who may have assisted them in fleeing or hiding the vehicle.

“The investigation is ongoing, and custodial interrogation is crucial to gather evidence, trace accomplices, and determine the exact sequence of events,” she said.

However, defence lawyer Manoj Mane, representing Kad and Chavan, contested the new charges. “My clients were initially charged with bailable offences under the BNS and the Motor Vehicles Act. The addition of serious sections like culpable homicide and destruction of evidence is unjustified,” he told the court. “They should be placed in judicial custody instead of police remand.”

The magistrate, after hearing both sides, granted police custody for two days.