On 29 April, model and TV presenter Sonika Chauhan died in a car crash and Vikram Chatterjee was injured in the mishap in Kolkata. Now, two days after Chatterjee has claimed he was not intoxicated while driving the car, friends and associates of the model held a candlelight vigil, demanding justice for her, as NDTV reported.
On Friday, Chatterjee, who got bail hours after the accident happened, held a press meeting wherein he said:
I am hearing many things... that I was intoxicated, that I was driving at 120 km per hour. But those are not true.
Five of Sonika’s friends were with the couple at the bars they visited on the intervening night of 28-29 April till almost 2.30 am. They filed statements to police, not wishing to be named, but stating that Chatterjee’s claims were untrue.
Police have not made a single statement on the case so far and many people who visited the Tollygunge police station for the vigil didn’t personally know Chauhan or Chatterjee, but only came to demand justice.
Actor Saurav Das commented on the matter saying:
We want Vikram to tell the truth. It is evident he had been drinking. And then he does a press meet to say he was not. Come on Vikram. We are with you, buddy, but please tell the truth.
Fashion designer Indroneel Mukherjee, who has worked with Chatterjee in the past, said that he was a nice person but after he claimed to be not intoxicated or speeding was when everyone realised he couldn’t be forgiven for the accident.
Rupa Ganguly, a BJP lawmaker, reached the vigil and said:
Why don’t we know the facts yet? Why are the police going slow on the case? Why were ministers and important people with Vikram that day?
Her reference was to pictures of a senior minister Arup Biswas from Mamata Banerjee’s cabinet, who was at the hospital inquiring about Chatterjee, hours after the accident.
Chauhan’s mother, Sharon Singh Chauhan, posted questions on social media, for the first time since her death: "We need answers and we have not got any. Why ??? what??? How??,"
She (Sonika) took the decision to trust a friend and trust her life with him at the wheel. Why did it go so wrong... not only did it end her life... but it was clearly reckless and rash... negligence causing her life to be snatched away. She did not deserve this.
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