MICA student stabbed in road rage incident; police constable arrested
Padhiar sought assistance from friends before fleeing to Punjab
Updated: Nov 14th, 2024
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| Accused Virendrasinh Padhiyar |
The brutal murder of 23-year-old MICA student Priyanshu Jain in a road rage incident has left the city in shock, especially as the accused, Virendrasinh Padhiyar, is a police constable with a troubling criminal history.
The black Harrier used in the crime belonged to Padhiyar’s friend. Police traced his movements using tollbooth CCTV footage, which revealed his escape route. After stabbing Priyanshu, Padhiyar fled to his home in South Bopal, where he told his family he was leaving for Vaishno Devi. Subsequently, he contacted a friend who runs a travel agency to book an Innova and sought assistance from another friend, Dilip Salave, before fleeing to Punjab.
Sharad Singhal, JCP, Crime Branch, stated, “At the time of the crime, Virendrasinh was alone in the car. However, during his escape to Punjab, a friend was driving the vehicle. It remains to be seen if this individual was complicit in the crime.”
Padhiyar’s past as a constable raises serious concerns. Suspended in 2017 for running an illegal call center while posted at Satellite Police Station, he faced suspension again in 2022 for insubordination toward a senior officer. Reinstated in 2023, he had been on sick leave since October 28 for reasons now under investigation.
Further inquiries revealed Padhiyar’s carefully planned escape. After fleeing his home, he used a private vehicle to travel through Hanumangarh, Mandi, Jalandhar, and Chandigarh before reaching Sanaur village in Punjab, where he stayed at a guest house under a fake name.
DCP Ajit Rajan confirmed, “The accused was arrested in Sanaur village, Punjab, where he was staying under a fake identity. We have not yet recovered the knife used in the crime, as he disposed of it during his escape.”
Ahmedabad Rural Police reconstructed the crime scene on Thursday, during which Padhiyar reportedly broke down under questioning. Superintendent of Police Om Prakash Jat revealed, “During the investigation, we tracked down around 70 black cars that were in the area at the time of the crime. This led us to Padhiyar’s house when it was discovered his vehicle was missing.”
The investigation faced significant challenges as the tollbooth CCTV footage was unclear, making it difficult to identify the vehicle. Officers relied on the colour of the car to comb through footage and narrow down the suspects.
Regarding Padhiyar’s unchecked history within the police force and the systemic failures that allowed him to remain in service despite repeated suspensions.
Jaya Deshmukh, Director & CEO of MICA Ahmedabad said, “On behalf of MICA, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to the police department for their swift response. We are grateful for their assistance in identifying the perpetrator.”
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