LIC agent killed in Thar crash while returning with wife's Diwali saree; bail for driver sparks debate

A festive evening turned tragic in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur when a 55-year-old Life Insurance Corporation agent lost his life in a severe road accident. Santosh Singh Chauhan, a resident of Swaraj Nagar in Panki, was returning home on his scooter after buying a saree for his wife Sunita ahead of Diwali. At around 8 pm near Gayatri Palace in the Awas Vikas-3 area of Kalyanpur, a speeding Mahindra Thar struck his vehicle from behind. The victim was barely 500 metres from his doorstep when the collision occurred.

Fatal collision near Kalyanpur

Witnesses reported that the SUV was travelling at an estimated speed of 100 kmph when it rammed into Chauhan’s scooter, throwing him into the air. The impact dragged him and the scooter beneath the vehicle for nearly 20 metres. The SUV then crashed through a garden wall outside Professor Kailash Chandra’s home before striking the boundary wall of GST Superintendent Anita Mahadevan’s property, leaving the scooter mangled beyond recognition. Onlookers noted that two young women and a man inside the SUV fled the scene in another car. Eyewitnesses alleged that the women appeared intoxicated and that occupants of the getaway car threatened gathered locals by claiming to be relatives of a minister.

Police action and swift bail

Police seized the SUV—which bore labels for Kisan Union on the front and Krishna Group on the rear, registered to a Panki resident—and recovered two helmets from the site. The driver was identified as Eeta Sachan, a woman pursuing her studies in Italy. Officers under DCP West Qasim Abidi and Station House Officer Keshav Tiwari sent the body for a post-mortem examination and began collecting local CCTV footage. Sachan was arrested following the crash but was released by a court shortly afterwards. Chauhan is survived by his wife Sunita, his son Rahul, an engineer who identified his father’s body, and his daughter Sakshi, an employee at a multinational firm in Bengaluru.

Public outcry over quick release

The incident has triggered sharp reactions on social media. Many netizens expressed anger over the driver being released so quickly, drawing comparisons to cases where minor offences against animals resulted in strict imprisonment. Online commentators raised concerns over wealth and social standing influencing legal consequences for fatal accidents. Others highlighted how a family’s festive season was struck by tragedy, urging citizens to demand strict punishment and justice for Chauhan.