He had it all carefully planned. He would have his ex-girlfriend knocked off her scooter and then swoop in to rescue her. Then, investigators caught on.
A man and his friend were arrested earlier this week in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district after investigators found that a road crash injuring a young woman had allegedly been staged by her ex-boyfriend in an attempt to win her back.
Ranjith Raja, a 24-year-old native of Mamood in Pathanamthitta district, and his friend Ajas (19), also from the district, allegedly planned the hit-and-run after the woman recently broke up with Ranjith.
On the evening of December 23, the woman, a 21-year-old college student, was riding her two-wheeler when a hatchback hit her at Vazhamuttom East, causing her to fall off the scooter. According to police, as a crowd gathered, Ranjith, who works on a ship, arrived at the spot in a blue SUV, took her to a hospital and later dropped her home.
A case of road accident was registered that evening, sub-inspector Shiju P. Sam, who probed the case, said.
“The woman in her statement said she knew the rescuer as her former lover,” he said. “That revelation gave the first twist. We also examined the CCTV visuals in the area and spoke to local people, who said Ranjith had told them he is the husband of the accident victim. He was tracked down, leading to the expose of the crime.”
According to police, the suspect chose the location knowing it was the route the victim took every day. The car used to hit the woman has also been traced, the officer said.
