A 20-year-old woman, on a visit home from the US where she studied, died in Bulandshahr in a road accident, which her family alleged happened because two motorcycle-borne men were following her two-wheeler and harassing her, officials said on Tuesday.
The daughter of a tea-shop owner, Sudiksha Bhati died Monday morning near Aurangabad when she was riding pillion on a motorcycle with her younger brother, a minor, they said.
The two were en route to their maternal uncle’s home in Bulandshahr’s Khanpur area from their house at Deri Scanar village in Gautam Buddh Nagar’s Dadri tehsil, the officials said.
The eldest among six siblings, Bhati had an envious academic record. “She got admitted in our school in 2011 in Class 6. In 2018, she scored 98 per cent marks in class 12 examination and topped the district,” said Bishwajit Banerjee, the principal of Sikandrabad Vidyagyan School, Bulandshahr.
She then went onto win a Rs3.8-crore scholarship from Babson College, Massachusetts (US), and was pursuing a graduation course in entrepreneurship, he said.
She had come to India due to the coronavirus pandemic and was scheduled to go back to the US on August 20.
They also alleged that while going to her maternal uncle Monday, she was being harassed by the two unidentified persons during the ride which led to the accident.
Additional Superintendent of Police (City) Atul Kumar Srivastava said there was traffic on the route when the accident happened.
“A Bullet (a Royal Enfield motorcycle) which was moving ahead of them suddenly stopped due to braking, and the two-wheeler of Sudiksha Bhati and her brother rammed into it from behind.”
“She suffered injuries in the crash and was taken to a community health centre but she died,” he said.
Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police HC Awasthy said, “There is definitely an accident. People will be questioned during probe, and the investigation will proceed according to what comes to light.” “A motorcycle was going ahead, and accident happened after its brakes were applied. After the motorcycles collided, the girl fell down and got injured. She was taken to a hospital, where unfortunately she died,” he said.
He said it has come to light that the two were not wearing helmets. Political rivals Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress attacked the BJP-led UP government over the law and order situation in the state.
