A 19-year-old Merchant Navy course student was arrested on Sunday after a high-speed SUV

LUCKNOW: A 19-year-old Merchant Navy course student was arrested on Sunday after a high-speeding Thar ploughed into an e-auto carrying devotees near Baniya Bazar in the Cantonment area, leaving two persons dead and four others critically injured. Police said the accused, identified as Akshay Pratap Singh, a resident of PGI, Lucknow, was behind the wheel of his friend’s SUV when the accident occurred.The victims were travelling from Nigohan to Lucknow for the local Khatu Shyam Darshan temple when the vehicle rammed into their auto, hurling passengers onto the road under the force of the collision. While Akshay Pratap initially fled the scene, he was later taken into custody. “The SUV involved in the accident has been seized,” DCP, Central Zone, Ashish Srivastava, said.Preliminary investigation indicates rash driving, with eyewitnesses alleging the driver appeared intoxicated. The DCP said Akshay was alone in the SUV and it belonged to his friend whose father is a retired Army officer. However, SHO Cantt Gurmeet Kaur clarified, “The accused has denied being under the influence of alcohol. His medical examination is underway.” The injured were rushed to Civil Hospital with the help of locals and police, before being shifted to the trauma centre.