As victim’s husband posts tearful appeal for ‘justice’ online, police identify motorcycle rider - The Indian Express

Two days after footage of a speeding motorbike running into a two-wheeler, killing the rider – a newly-married woman – surfaced on social media, the Ahmedabad Rural Police identified the accused rider, who allegedly escaped after leaving the bike on the spot that Friday night. Even as police look for the accused, Sunil Parmar, booked for causing death by negligence, the husband has posted a tearful video seeking justice for his wife.

Surveillance camera footage shows Nishi Darji, 28, and her husband Hardik on two two-wheelers taking a turn on the DPS Canal Road in Bopal area of the city, when a speeding motorbike comes from the opposite side and rams Nishi’s two-wheeler within seconds.

Hardik Darji, a garba tutor, was returning from classes and the couple met at the Pakwan crossroads near Bodakdev late Friday. Nishi was returning from her parent’s home and they were in separate vehicles, says the FIR registered at the Bopal police station, on the basis of Hardik Darji’s complaint.

“At DPS School Canal Road, a motorbike from the Shilaj side, at a high speed, hit Nishi’s vehicle. She fell on the road and suffered injuries to her right hand and leg. She was also bleeding from her nose and head. He (the motorcycle rider) took her to a private hospital but she was declared dead at 12:50 am on Saturday (September 12),” said the FIR. The couple had been married for around two months.

On Monday,  Darji, in a tearful appeal on social media, is heard saying, “I have just this to say… That the accused be caught and given the most stringent punishment so that my wife gets justice.”

Inspector N S Chauhan of Bopal police station confirmed to The Indian Express that the suspect driving the Rajasthan-registered bike had been identified by two people, one was the owner of the bike in question and, the other, who was riding pillion on the same vehicle on the day of the incident, who also suffered injuries in the accident.

Inspector Chauhan said, “We have identified the accused as one Sunil Parmar and have formed teams to locate and apprehend him. He is originally from Rajasthan and we sent a team to his residence there as well but he was not found there. Several other teams are looking for him on the ground as well as through technical means, including CCTV footage.”

Speaking on how they had reached the alleged suspect, Inspector N S Chauhan said, “The bike is owned by a friend of the accused who told us that the latter (Sunil Parmar) was driving the bike. The man who was riding pillion on the bike at the time of the incident also gave a statement naming the same person (Parmar).”

Earlier, the then unidentified driver was booked under BNS section 106(1) for causing death by negligence among other sections, including those of the Motor Vehicles Act.

Brendan Dabhi works with The Indian Express, focusing his comprehensive reporting primarily on Gujarat. He covers the region's most critical social, legal, and administrative sectors, notably specializing at the intersection of health, social justice, and disasters. Expertise Health and Public Policy: He has deep expertise in healthcare issues, including rare diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), the complex logistics of organ transplants, and public health challenges like drug-resistant TB and heat health surveillance. His on-ground reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic and Mucormycosis was critical in exposing healthcare challenges faced by marginalized communities in Gujarat. Social Justice and Legal Administration: He reports on the functioning of the legal and police system, including the impact of judicial philosophy, forensics and crucial administrative reforms (. He covers major surveillance and crackdown exercises by the Gujarat police and security on the international border. Disaster and Crisis Management: His work closely tracks how government and civic bodies respond to large-scale crises, providing essential coverage on the human and administrative fallout of disasters including cyclones, floods, conflict, major fires and reported extensively on the AI 171 crash in Ahmedabad. Civic Infrastructure and Governance: Provides timely reports on critical civic failures,  including large scale infrastructure projects by the railways and civic bodies, as well as  the enforcement of municipal regulations and their impact on residents and heritage. ... Read More