Law student Soumya Ranjan Rath was arrested in Bhubaneswar after allegedly driving a Mercedes-Benz under the influence of alcohol and crashing head-on into a motorcycle late Monday night.
The collision, which occurred near Shastri Nagar Square, destroyed the motorcycle and killed the rider, who was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital.
Although the driver and a female passenger attempted to flee the scene, local residents blocked the car and detained them until the Kharavel Nagar police arrived.
The incident triggered protests from locals who feared the driver might escape punishment due to his influential background. Some protesters vandalized the car and blocked traffic for an hour before senior police officials stepped in, calmed the crowd, and assured them that strict legal action would be taken.
