New Delhi:

Highlights

Daughter of doctor who died in accident files FIR against Smriti Irani
Daughter alleges Irani’s convoy hit doctor, minister did not help injured
Irani’s office says accident took place long before convoy reached spot

Minister Smriti Irani’s office today denied that she had left without helping after an accident on the highway on Saturday in which a doctor was killed and his young nephew was critically injured. She has also rejected the charge that the Honda City car that hit the doctor’s bike was a part of her convoy.

Agra-based doctor Ramesh Nagar was killed after he was hit for the second time by a car in the minister’s convoy, his children have alleged in an FIR or police complaint. Dr Nagar’s 15-year-old daughter Sandili was riding pillion along with her 12-year-old cousin, who was severely injured.

The teenager alleges that she begged for help but “Smriti Irani ignored us”, contradicting the minister’s tweet after the accident. Ms Irani’s spokesperson has strongly denied the allegation. He said that car no. 5315 named in the FIR is not part of her convoy. He also says that the minister stopped to call a police officer and ask him for an ambulance even though she was hurt in the pile-up.

Sandili Nagar claims that she and her cousin waited for several hours for medical attention.

“The HRD minister’s car hit our bike, which was at slow speed. Our bike fell. I asked for help but they said no. They said you can get help later. If she wanted, she could have helped us. If she had helped us, my father would have been there with us,” said Sandili.

She claimed that Ms Irani walked out of her car, which was damaged, got into another car and drove off.

Ms Irani was on her way to Delhi after attending a BJP youth convention in Mathura when the accident took place, causing a pile-up on the Noida expressway. In a series of tweets, she said she was not hurt and she had tried to help the injured.

The minister’s office asserts that the accident took place long before her convoy reached the site.