vadodara, March 17 The Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU) of Vadodara has decided to initiate disciplinary action against Rakshit Chaurasia, the accused in the Vadodara hit-and-run case that left a woman dead and seven others injured.
Chaurasia is a final-year student of the university’s Faculty of Law.
Following the incident, members of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) staged a protest and submitted a memorandum to the university’s Vice-Chancellor, demanding Chaurasia’s expulsion. MSU’s acting Vice-Chancellor, Dhanesh Patel, confirmed that a committee would be formed to investigate the matter and that appropriate disciplinary action would follow based on the findings.
“Chaurasia, an eighth-semester student residing as a paying guest in Vadodara, was involved in a deeply unfortunate incident. We will conduct a thorough inquiry with legal consultation and act accordingly,” Patel stated. The university has already gathered the necessary records for the investigation.
The accident, which has sparked national outrage, was captured on CCTV. The footage reportedly shows Chaurasia, who was sitting in the passenger seat, convincing his friend Pranshu Chauhan to switch seats. Chaurasia then took control of the vehicle, leading to the fatal crash.
The 23-year-old student from Prayagraj has been arrested and charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder after the Volkswagen Virtus sedan he was driving collided with three vehicles. Hemali Patel (35) died on the spot, while seven others sustained injuries.
A video taken after the accident shows the car with a damaged front and deployed airbags. In the footage, Chauhan is seen asking Chaurasia to move.
Chaurasia has denied being drunk or speeding and attributed the crash to the car’s airbags. “We were overtaking a scooter and turned right when we hit a pothole. The car touched another vehicle, and the airbag deployed, impairing my vision and causing the car to go out of control,” he had said.
Expressing remorse, Chaurasia added, “I was told that a woman died and others were injured. I want to meet the victims’ families — it is my fault.”