‘Wish I could have saved the others too': Security guard who pulled out lone survivor from burning car that killed 5
When Ajeet Chaudhary and his cousin Bhura left their homes in Bulandshahr for Noida on a motorcycle on Wednesday around 4.45 am, they were expecting a normal drive to work. Ajeet had recently celebrated his 28th birthday, and the duo was soaking in the pleasant memories.
Minutes later, however, they saw a burning car. '… it was in flames. There were other people on the road, too, but no one stopped,' recalled Ajeet.
They spotted the burning white Maruti Swift after they stopped at a petrol pump and then drove towards a roundabout near Anupshahr. 'I told Bhura that we should go and check if someone was inside, and he agreed. We parked our bike a few meters away,' recalled Ajeet.
What he did next was an act of courage that saved a life.
'A woman in the back seat was hitting the car's window with both her hands. I tried to open the door but failed. The car had already burned partially. I started looking for a stone around, picked up one from the road, and hit the window pane with all my might. The door opened,' he recounted.
Two people sitting in the front of the car had already died, he said.
'The woman could not move, and I could not pick her up. The intensity of the blaze was increasing. I managed to drag her a few meters away from the car, and I rushed back. I could hear a baby's cry, and the man who was sitting next to her was alive. He was moving, so I gave him my hand, but he couldn't take it. Then he suddenly moved back… maybe he was trying to save the child. I called out, but he didn't move. I could hear Bhura call for help. I came back to the woman,' he said.
He dialled 112 twice to reach the police but could not. 'Then I rang up my brother, Yatendra, asking him to inform the police about the fire. Police reached 20 minutes later,' he said.
The car had six family members, including a two-year-old. It had caught fire after ramming into the side of a bridge, said police. The family was returning from a wedding in Chamanpura village of Badaun district to their home in Delhi's Malviya Nagar.
According to the Circle Officer, Anupshahr, Ram Karan, it prima facie appeared that the driver of the car might have fallen asleep at the wheel.
By the time the police reached the spot, Gulnaaz, 27, was the lone survivor of the accident.
The woman was trembling. She asked for her phone and dialled a number, then she handed the phone to Ajeet to explain the incident to the man on the other end. 'I told him about the accident and explained the situation,' he said.
On Thursday, Ajeet, a security guard at Ace Divino society in Greater Noida, was at work when he shared that he had one regret despite saving a life. 'I hope she (the woman) is fine, but I wish I could have saved the man and the child, too. I can still recall their faces. I cannot imagine the family's loss and grief,' he said.
Neetika Jha is a Correspondent with The Indian Express. She covers crime, health, environment as well as stories of human interest, in Noida, Ghaziabad and western UP. When not on the field she is probably working on another story idea. On weekends, she loves to read fiction over a cup of coffee. The Thursday Murder club, Yellow Face and Before the Coffee Gets Cold were her recent favourites. She loves her garden as much as she loves her job. She is an alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. ... Read More
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
11 hours ago
- Indian Express
Pakistan used unsuspecting customers to route funds to CRPF officer: Probe
Days after the arrest of CRPF Assistant Sub-Inspector Moti Ram Jat for allegedly leaking sensitive information to Pakistani intelligence officials, Central intelligence agencies have uncovered a new layer to the espionage network — a covert funding mechanism that exploited ordinary Indian citizens. According to investigators, Pakistani officials used an unusual modus operandi to send money to Jat: instead of transferring funds directly or through their Indian handlers, they instructed unrelated individuals — mostly unsuspecting customers in business transactions — to deposit money into Jat's account, under the impression that it was part of a legitimate commercial deal. 'These were unsuspecting individuals who either struck small business deals with someone or were asked by their clients to transfer money via QR codes for services like travel bookings or currency exchange. But the account details they were given actually belonged to Moti Ram Jat,' a source with a central intelligence agency told The Indian Express. 'They had no knowledge of who Jat was or what his real role was.' This layering of transactions has made the financial trail harder to trace and added complexity to the investigation, the source said. Jat was arrested last month by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Delhi for allegedly sharing classified information with Pakistani agents posing as TV journalists. He had been posted with a CRPF battalion in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, and was transferred to Delhi just five days before the April 22 terror attack in which 26 civilians were killed. The probe has revealed that over the past two years, Jat allegedly sent multiple sensitive documents to his handlers in Pakistan in exchange for regular payments — Rs 3,500 per month and occasional lump sums of up to Rs 12,000 for high-value intelligence. The funds were deposited into his and his wife's bank accounts. Following the money trail, the NIA found that deposits came from various states, including Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Assam and West Bengal. 'The pattern was clear — multiple transfers from unrelated bank accounts in different regions,' the source said. This discovery prompted simultaneous searches by NIA teams at several locations, including a shop in Alipore, a travel agency in Khidderpore, and a hotel in Park Circus in Kolkata. In one case, the owner of a travel agency was summoned for questioning over suspicious transactions. Earlier this month, the NIA confirmed the espionage links. 'The suspects had connections with Pakistani operatives, and acted as financial conduits for carrying out espionage activities in India. NIA teams have seized several electronic gadgets and sensitive financial documents, along with other incriminating materials during the searches,' the agency said in a statement. It added that several electronic devices and sensitive financial documents were seized and are being examined. According to sources, Jat has claimed that he was initially contacted by a woman who posed as a journalist from a Chandigarh-based TV channel. After regular exchanges over phone and video calls, he began sharing documents with her. A few months later, a man — allegedly a Pakistani official — took over the conversation, continuing the ruse as a fellow journalist. Payments reportedly began two to three months after initial contact and were transferred on the fourth day of every month. Investigators believe this indicates a structured and well-funded espionage operation, run from across the border but embedded within Indian financial systems using innocent intermediaries. The NIA has briefed the Ministry of Home Affairs, the CRPF, and other central agencies about the evolving methods being used by Pakistani operatives to fund and mask their activities within India.
Indian Express
11 hours ago
- Indian Express
Air India flight crash: Body of missing filmmaker among 210 handed over to family members
Eight days after Air India flight AI 171 crashed, the authorities have identified 230 victims and handed 210 bodies to families, officials said Friday. The bodies that were returned included that of Mahesh Kalawadia, 34, a filmmaker who was among four people reported missing after the incident. Kalawadia's DNA was matched with a family member's and his body was handed over to his family Friday afternoon, sources at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital said. As earlier reported by The Indian Express, Kalawadia was neither in the flight nor in the BJ Medical College hostel where it crashed. His last location before his phone switched off was nearly 700 metres from the hostel. While the filmmaker's family hoped he was not among those killed, police had convinced them to give their DNA samples in case his body was found. Dr Rakesh Joshi, Medical Superintendent of Civil Hospital, in a video statement on June 20 evening said, 'While DNA analysis of 230 victims has been completed, 210 bodies have been handed over to the families. While the families of 8 deceased are awaiting the bodies… 10 families are yet to decide on a time to receive the remains and 3 families are awaiting air clearance for air transport of the bodies.'
Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
9 dead in car-truck collision on NH-18; victims were headed to Jharkhand from Bengal's Purulia
Nine people died in a head-on collision on National Highway 18 in West Bengal's Purulia district on Friday morning. The accident, near Namsol Primary School in the Balarampur police station area, involved a car carrying nine passengers and a truck which was reportedly being driven at a high speed. 'We have registered a case of rash driving. The truck driver fled from the spot. We are trying to trace him,' DSP (Headquarters) Nirmal Das told The Indian Express. According to officials, a Bolero car was traveling from Purulia to Jharkhand when it was hit by a truck coming from the opposite direction. The impact completely wrecked the car, and both vehicles reportedly overturned. All nine occupants of the Bolero were rushed to the nearest health centre, where doctors pronounced them dead. The police have taken the truck into custody and have launched an investigation. Eight of the deceased have been identified as Biru Mahato, Ajay Mahato, Vijay Mahato, Swapan Mahato, Gurupad Mahato, Shashank Mahato, Chitta Mahato, Krishna Mahato, all residents of Tilai Tand village in Lakadi under Neemdih police station. The ninth victim, Chandramohan Mahato, was a resident of Raghunathpur, also under Neemdih police station. Sources said they were returning home to Jharkhand after attending a wedding ceremony in Purulia. The accident follows another road accident a day ago in Howrah district. 'Three persons died and several people were injured. A private bus, operating on the Bagnan-Shyambazar route, left the Bagnan bus terminus approaching the Library More on NH-16, and was attempting to move towards the Kolkata-bound lane when it was hit by a Kolaghat-bound truck,' said an official of Howrah. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari took to X on Friday: 'My heart goes out to the families of the victims who tragically lost their lives in the two consecutive horrific road accidents; yesterday in Bagnan; Howrah district and today at Balarampur; Purulia district.' He blamed the 'alarming deterioration of road safety standards in West Bengal under the supervision of the West Bengal police, which falls directly under the purview of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.' Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More
