Guwahati: In a significant development in the ongoing Samiul Haque hit-and-run case, popular Assamese actress Nandini Kashyap was apprehended by the Panbazar Women Police in the early hours of Wednesday.
The arrest, which took place around 1:30 AM, follows intense public pressure and a thorough police investigation into the July 25 incident that claimed the life of 21-year-old Samiul Haque.
Police sources confirmed that Kashyap was initially detained in North Guwahati late on Tuesday night, subsequently brought to Dispur Police Station for initial questioning, and then transferred to the All Women Police Station in Panbazar where her arrest was formally recorded. Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has now been incorporated into the case proceedings, indicating a deepening of the legal ramifications.
The tragic incident unfolded on the night of July 25 in Dakhingaon, Guwahati, when Samiul, a second-year Nalbari Polytechnic student and a temporary employee with the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), was struck by a speeding vehicle allegedly driven by the actress. Despite being rushed to Gauhati Medical College and later to Apollo Hospital, Samiul succumbed to his critical injuries the following evening, sparking widespread grief and outrage across the state.
The All Assam Polytechnic Students’ Union (AAPSU) has been at the forefront of the protests, lodging an FIR and demanding swift justice, citing eyewitness accounts that the vehicle did not stop after the collision, further inflaming public sentiment.
As the investigation progresses, authorities are meticulously examining CCTV footage, corroborating eyewitness testimonies, and analysing forensic evidence to reconstruct the precise sequence of events. Police officials have indicated that additional legal provisions may be invoked depending on the findings from the final forensic and post-mortem reports.
Meanwhile, Nandini Kashyap’s family has released a statement expressing profound regret over the incident, with her mother asserting that they had attempted to offer assistance to Samiul from the very beginning. She further claimed that Nandini’s father, who had gone to the hospital with financial aid, was allegedly stopped and threatened by a group of youths. Addressing accusations of apathy, Kashyap’s mother clarified that the family was advised by the police to avoid public exposure for their safety. She also addressed prior traffic violations attributed to Nandini, stating that those offences were committed by their driver, not the actress herself.
The grieving Haque family continues their resolute call for justice, garnering immense support from both online communities and on-ground activists. Samiul’s body was sent to GMCH for post-mortem examination on Wednesday morning, with the report anticipated to be crucial in establishing the exact cause of death and shaping the course of the ongoing legal proceedings.
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