Gaurav Gill case: Victim's family questions permission

"Its been 9 nine days since I lost my parents and younger brother but so far there hasn't been any action and all the accused in the case are yet to be arrested", says 22 year old Rahul Bhati, who has been running from pillar to post in order to get justice.

On the fateful morning of September 21, Bhati lost his parents (Narendra Kumar, his wife Pushpa Devi) and brother (Jitendra) after a rally car allegedly driven by Arjuna awardee Gaurav Gill hit them which resulted in the deaths of all three.

"The police should find why the rally was held without prior permission", Bhatti added. Meanwhile the villagers also staged protest and pressurized the administration to put the prime accused behind bars.The family of the victim is demanding a government job for kin and reasonable compensation.

Nine days on, the Arjuna awardee Gaurav Gill who is accused of a hit and run incident that led to the death of a couple is still absconding.

Police on September 22 booked Gill and his navigator Musa Sharif after their car rammed into a motorcycle during the Indian National Rally Championship race in Barmer. Besides Gill and the partner police has also lodged an FIR against the companies involved in the event --Maxperienace, Mahindra, JK Tyres, MRF Tyres and the Federation of Motor Sports Club of India.

The FIR was registered under section 304 of IPC against Gaurav Gill and Musa Sherif. In the Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), the maximum punishment is life imprisonment.

The victims were identified as Narendra Kumar, his wife Pushpa Devi (both in their early forties ) and their 15 year old son Jitendra. "The three family members were the residents of Hotrada village of Barmer. They died on spot after the vehile allegedly hit by Gill hit them.The FIR was registered at Samadri police station on wee hours of Sunday", Additional Superintendent of Police Khinv Singh confirmed.

However the victim's elder son Rahul who filed the case at the police station has claimed in the statement that his younger brother was talking to his parents (Narendra and Pushpa ) on the roadside with the motorcycle, when Gill's car hit them and two other cars coming from behind also rammed into them.

But the initial rumour suggested that Gill has also got injured in the accident and was shifted to the nearby hospital. However police denied the reports after the initial probe. "We have been searching for him everywhere , in the hospital's villages etc. Not only this we have put bordering districts on alert so that we have him at the earliest ", Khinv Singh added.

Govt removes district collector & SP

According to the senior cop investigating this case, the primary investigation suggests that the rally organisers had taken permission from sarpanches in Jodhpur district but in Barmer they failed to take permission from the administration.

Taking a serious cognizance after the villagers protested against the Gills, the state government has put district collection and Superintendent Police of Barmer on Awaited posting order. Whereas Bhutaram Bishnoi, SHO at Samadri police station was transferred.

Who is at fault?

"We are trying to investigate if administration was also at the fault along with the organisers which is why the case is being investigated by senior police officers", a senior cop told DH.

As soon as state government ordered an investigation to be conducted by officer of divisional commissioner rank, the dditional Director General of police Ravi Prakash visited the spot.