Deadly chase ended in Surat man’s fatal crash, find police

Almost 10 days after a man was killed in a car crash in Surat district, police have arrested seven men on the charge of culpable homicide, after it emerged that they had attacked and chased the vehicle and allegedly caused it to ram into a wall.

Police acted after protests by neighbours and family of the man demanding justice at the Olpad police station in Surat district. Amish Patel, a 45-year-old transport businessman, was on his way home in Olpad taluka’s Saroli village from Pinjrat village on September 12 evening, when he encountered a traffic-jam-like situation on the road.

The situation was allegedly caused by a procession of people who were taking a Ganesh idol in a truck for installation. Ganesh Chaturthi – the day devotees install idols of the Lord in public places or in their homes for the Ganeshotsav festival – was on September 14, two days later.

After the congestion cleared, Patel moved ahead, but his car allegedly hit a motorbike which was being ridden by one Jigar Patel, who was part of the procession, police said. A mob of men immediately fell on Amish’s car, allegedly vandalising it and smashing its windows.

A panic-stricken Amish tried to speed away from the spot, but several of the men chased him on their bikes, police said. “Unable to control the car and seeing the public chasing him, he collided with the wall near a bus stop at Ariyana village.

He died on the spot,” police said. Members of Amish’s family found him dead in the car. A case of accidental death was registered at Olpad police station. However, while trying to escape the mob, Amish had managed to make a call to a friend, and tell him about the bikers who were chasing him.

Sources said he had “expressed fear that they might kill him”. Police checked footage from CCTV cameras along the route Amish had taken and found that the car was speeding. Evidence from the call Amish had made to his friend, along with videos made by people on their mobile phones, and the accounts of witnesses allowed investigators to reconstruct the details of the deadly chase.

Meanwhile, the family and friends of Amish took out a protest rally to Olpad police station and demanded that the accused be identified and an FIR be registered against them. On September 18, the villagers of Saroli sat on dharna outside the police station, and gave a memorandum to Inspector General of Police (Surat Range) Prem Vir Singh, Superintendent of Police Rajesh Gadhiya, and the Olpad Mamlatdar.

“We were not satisfied with the action taken by police. We wanted strict BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023) sections so that in future nobody dares to commit such a crime,” Nalin Patel, Amish’s younger brother, said. Nalin alleged that “from day one”, the family had requested Olpad Police Inspector C R Jadav to take stern action against the accused.

“We suspect that there may be some political pressure on him for not taking stringent action against the accused,” he said. Police Inspector Jadav said: “We have registered cases of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, rioting and other actions against the accused.

We checked CCTV footage from various areas and found that a minor issue had escalated. Amish had sped away from the spot after seeing the public banging on his car.” Jadav said Amish runs a transport business in Surat city, and was on his way home after meeting a friend.

“We have arrested seven people whom we identified through CCTV footage and mobile phone recordings,” the officer said. The arrested persons include Jigar Patel, the man whose bike Amish’s car had hit, and which led to the events that ended in the tragedy.

The other accused are Neel Patel, Divyesh Patel, Paresh Patel, Jashwant Patel, Shirish Patel, and Paresh Patel, all of whom are residents of Pinjrat and Dihen villages in Olpad taluka. Kamal Saiyed is a senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, providing extensive, on-the-ground coverage from Surat and the broader South Gujarat region and the Union territories of Daman, Diu & Dadra Nagar Haveli.

With a reporting career at the publication spanning back to 2007, he has established himself as a high-authority voice on the industrial, social, and political pulse of one of India’s fastest-growing urban hubs. Expertise Industrial & Economic Beat: Based in the "Diamond City," Saiyed offers expert reporting on the diamond and textile industries.

His work tracks global market shifts (such as De Beers production changes), local trade policies, and the socio-economic challenges facing the millions of workers in Surat’s manufacturing hubs. Civic & Infrastructure Coverage: He consistently reports on urban development and public safety in Surat, including: Traffic & Urban Planning: Monitoring the city's 13-fold increase in traffic violations and the implementation of new municipal drives.

Public Safety: Investigative reporting on infrastructure failures, fire safety NOC compliance in schools and commercial buildings, and Metro rail progress. Political Reporting: Tracking the shifting dynamics between the BJP, Congress, and AAP in South Gujarat and the neighboring Union Territories (Daman, Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli).

Crime beat: Armed with a good source network Saiyed has been able to bring out the human side of crime stories in his region ... Read More