The deceased were identified as Krishnapal Singh Tanwar and Ayush Rathore, both 20-year-old B.Tech second-year students at Prestige College, Indore. A third student, Shreyansh Rathore, Ayush’s brother, sustained severe injuries and is undergoing treatment.
According to eyewitnesses, the Scorpio, a newly purchased vehicle with garlands still on its bonnet, was coming from Nakshatra Square at high speed when it collided head-on with the scooter (registration MP09 QZ 0714) emerging from a divider cut near a petrol pump. The impact threw the students several metres away, while the mangled scooter remained lodged in the divider.
Following the collision, the driver and four other youths in the SUV abandoned the vehicle and fled under the cover of darkness. Police have seized the Scorpio and launched a manhunt to trace the absconding suspects.
“Preliminary investigation suggests rash and negligent driving. The vehicle has been taken into custody, and efforts are on to identify the driver,” said Lasudia Police Station In-Charge K.K. Sharma.
For nearly half an hour after the crash, the bodies of Krishnapal and Ayush lay on the road before police and senior officers, including ADCP Alok Sharma and ACP Himani Mishra, arrived at the scene. Only then did hospital staff move the bodies inside.
The incident has triggered outrage among students and residents of Khandwa, who have demanded stricter enforcement against reckless driving and swift action against the accused.
