The hunger for instant fame has claimed two more young lives, this time in Gujarat.
Five young men, between the ages of 22 and 27, were headed to Mumbai from Ahmedabad in a Maruti Suzuki Brezza and decided to chronicle their journey by going live on Instagram. Not all of the men are alive but the video from that fateful day lives on.
Music blaring in the background, the video begins with two of the men saying hello to their audience, many of whom can be seen joining the livestream. Since the footage was shot before dawn, a cellphone flashlight is used and the camera pans to show the other occupants of the car, who seem to be enjoying themselves.
The trouble begins when the camera focuses on the instrument cluster of the SUV with one of the men saying, “look how the car is going” and the speedometer reads 160 kilometres per hour. A string of abuses, possibly aimed at the driver of one of the vehicles on the road, follows. The SUV’s driver proceeds to weave through traffic by overtaking vehicles to his right and left in a matter of seconds at speeds in excess of 100 kmph. He is egged on by his friends, who say, “Yeah, one more.”
That’s when tragedy strikes and the squealing of brakes can be heard as the driver swerves to avoid an obstacle. The video ends with a loud thud and then darkness.
The incident occurred between 3.30 and 4.30 am on May 2 and two of the car’s occupants, Aman Mehboobbhai Sheikh and Chiragkumar K Patel – both from Ahmedabad – were killed. The other five – also from the same city – suffered injuries and are undergoing treatment, police officials said.
They said the SUV hit a tree near Adas in Gujarat, about 100 km from Ahmedabad, on National Highway 48. A case has been filed against the car’s driver, Mustafa alias Shahbad Khan Pathan.
(With inputs from Mahendra Prasad)
