Hit & run: Speeding car knocks gardener dead

Nagpur: A 70-year-old gardener was knocked dead by a speeding car in Ramdaspeth early on Friday. Police said the car driver fled the scene after hitting the deceased, Shyamalal Verma, a resident of Kachipura, when he was cycling to work. With majority of the CCTV cameras installed at junctions reportedly non-operational, cops are struggling to trace the killer car. Cops are pinning hopes for a clue on a front portion of the car, which was found broken at the accident spot. The part has helped Sitabuldi police identify the make, brand and colour of the car, said sources.As per police sources, the incident occurred between 5am and 5.45am on May 15, in front of Shrimad Rajchandra Chowk. Verma used to visit the bungalow of Prithviraj Kashyap nearby for gardening duties, said sources.Verma sustained serious injuries in the accident. Passersby and family members, including his cousin Ramsukh Verma, 63, rushed to the spot and shifted him to govt hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. Relatives described Shyamlal, hailing from Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, as a hard working man who was working in Nagpur for years to support his family in his native place.Following a formal complaint lodged by Ramsukh Verma, Sitabuldi Police have registered a case against the unidentified car driver under Sections 106(1) and 281 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, along with relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act — 184, 134 and 177.Police have initiated a search for the vehicle using CCTV footage available from the area and are appealing to eyewitnesses to come forward. Preliminary investigation suggests the car was moving at high speed during the morning hours when there is sparse traffic.