HYDERABAD: An attempt to pick up a drunk friend from a pub in Jubilee Hills led to a fatal hit-and-run near Basavatarakam Cancer Hospital in the early hours of Saturday, leaving one dead and two others injured.
Banjara Hills police arrested two roommates, M Sanketh Srinivas and Harshavardhan, on Sunday and sent them to judicial remand.
According to police, the sequence of events began when Vamshi, another roommate, visited a pub with a female companion and consumed alcohol. Around 12.30am, he called Harshavardhan, who was also drunk and at home, asking to be picked up.
Fearing drunk and drive checks, Harshavardhan handed his car keys to Srinivas, who did not have a driver’s license. Srinivas, accompanied agreed to drive. Harshavardhan and Srinivas set off from their residence in Banjara Hills Road No 13.
As they drove past Basavatarakam Cancer Hospital and took a U-turn, the car lost control, mounted the footpath, and ran over three people sleeping there. The car toppled to one side, and Srinivas and his friend immediately fled the scene.
Meanwhile, Vamshi, frustrated by the delay, returned home on his own. When Srinivas and Harshavarshan arrived at their residence, all the roommates fled on separate two-wheelers.
Police arrested Srinivas and Harshavardhan on Sunday. Police confirmed that Vamshi and Harshavardhan had consumed alcohol and collected a blood sample from Srinivas to determine whether he was intoxicated at the time of the accident. Srinivas was found to be unlicensed, adding to the list of violations.
