Wasn't drunk: Kanpur woman who ran over LIC agent with Thar blames potholes

The 24-year-old woman from Kanpur, who ran over an LIC agent with her Thar, has claimed she was not drunk, lost control of the SUV while negotiating potholes and did not deliberately hit the victim.The accident occurred on November 7, when the victim was riding home after buying a saree for his wife a day before Diwali. Kanpur,Nov 11, 2026 13:21 ISTThe 24-year-old woman, Geet Sachan, who was driving the Mahindra Thar that ran over and killed a 55-year-old LIC agent in Kanpur on the eve of Diwali, has broken her silence, denying she was drunk and claiming she lost control of the SUV due to potholes on the road.Sachan expressed grief over the death of Santosh Singh Chauhan but maintained that she had not deliberately hit him and that the collision was an accident. She claimed that the Thar went out of control while she was trying to negotiate potholes, eventually crashing into Chauhan's scooter.The accident occurred on November 7, barely 500 metres from Chauhan’s home, as he was riding back after buying a saree for his wife ahead of Diwali.The speeding Thar rammed into his scooter, dragging him and the vehicle for several metres before crashing through the boundary wall of a residential property and landing in a garden. Chauhan died on the spot, police said. According to eyewitnesses, Sachan was travelling with her younger sister and another man when the accident took place. The occupants abandoned the damaged SUV and left in another car that arrived at the spot shortly after the crash.A video of the incident later surfaced on social media, showing Sachan stepping out of the Thar and screaming before leaving in the other vehicle. Chauhan's body could be seen lying nearby. Police initially registered a case against unidentified persons. However, after tracing the vehicle to sand contractor Guddu Sachan, investigators identified his daughter Geet as the woman driving the SUV.VICTIM'S FAMILY QUESTIONS GEET'S BAILSachan was arrested after the victim's family protested and demanded action against her. However, she was granted bail at the police station on Diwali itself, triggering fresh outrage among Chauhan's relatives.Rahul Chauhan, the victim's son, questioned how the woman accused of killing his father could return home to celebrate Diwali while his family was mourning their loss."What kind of justice is this? The woman who killed my father and brought darkness into our home just before Diwali is celebrating the festival with her family after being released. What about the darkness in our house?" he said.The victim's family claimed that police initially failed to establish Chauhan's identity despite relatives identifying him after the accident. His son, Rahul, staged a protest and refused to let the post-mortem proceedings conclude until Sachan was arrested.The family agreed to take Chauhan's body for the last rites only after her arrest.Rahul also questioned whether Sachan, reportedly a learner driver, possessed a valid driving licence. He demanded that the police investigate the matter and question her father if she had been allowed to drive without a licence."If she did not have a driving licence, her father should also be questioned. How could he allow his daughter to drive the vehicle?" he said.POLICE ON GEET’S BAIL ON DIWALIACP Dilip Singh, explaining the accused driver’s release, said Sachan had been arrested but was granted bail at the police station as the offence carried a punishment of less than seven years.He added that the remaining aspects of the case were being investigated. If the victim's family had any further complaints, they could submit them in writing, and these would also be included in the probe.Police have also seized the Thar involved in the accident.- Ends