Lucknow shocker: 5-year-old run over by neighbor’s SUV; police register case after 8 days

LUCKNOW: CCTV footage has emerged showing an SUV running over a child in the Aashiana area of Lucknow. The footage shows the child standing with their bicycle in a narrow lane, engaged in conversation, when a car from an adjacent lane turned into theirs at high speed.

Two children were caught in the vehicle’s path.

One child was crushed under the right tire, while another was thrown against a wall. The child trapped under the car managed to get up and limp inside once the vehicle moved away. The child suffered severe rib injuries and was admitted to the ICU for three days. Initially, the family considered it an accident, but upon reviewing the CCTV footage, they suspected it was deliberate.

When they reported the incident, the driver and his father allegedly threatened them at home. The accused, a neighbor, was charged by police eight days after the incident. The incident involved Shouvik Pandey, five-and-a-half years old, who was standing outside his home with another child, Kushal Soumil, on August 10. The SUV was allegedly driven by Shivansh Verma, son of neighbor C.L. Verma, who was reportedly in the car.

The collision was severe—Kushal was thrown against a wall, Shouvik was knocked into the gate, breaking it, and suffered a broken collarbone. Haridwar Pandey, Shouvik’s grandfather, immediately rushed him to Apollo Super Specialty Hospital, where he received ICU care for three days. During this time, neither C.L. Verma nor his son visited the hospital. The Verma family initially claimed the accident was caused by the children’s bicycles obstructing the car, but CCTV footage indicated the incident was deliberate.

The impact was so severe that the car’s bonnet was damaged, and the bicycles were trapped underneath.

Attempts by the Pandey family to resolve the matter were met with hostility and threats.Police inaction and delayed response Frustrated, Haridwar Pandey approached the police, but action was delayed, and he had to visit the station multiple times. Police allegedly coerced him into signing a document, allowing the accused time to evade justice. After persistent pressure, a case was finally registered late on a Sunday night. Ashiana Inspector Chhatrapal Singh stated the case was registered promptly once the complaint was received, but he was unaware of the initial delays.