Usman Khan, a local Congress leader and district vice president, plowed his car into a group of pedestrians in Jaipur’s Nahargarh area on April 7 night. The horrifying act, allegedly committed under the influence of alcohol, resulted in the deaths of three people and left six others critically injured. Shockingly, eyewitness accounts suggest deliberate speeding outside a Hindu temple, fueling allegations of communal motives behind what was initially reported as a case of drunk driving.
The carnage began around 9:15 PM on April 7, when a silver sedan, later identified as being driven by Usman Khan, sped recklessly through a narrow lane in Nahargarh — an area densely packed with small shops, shrines, and evening foot traffic. According to police reports and multiple eyewitnesses, Khan first rammed into a motorcycle, then a scooter, and continued without pause, colliding with three separate vehicles and running over several pedestrians.
“He wasn’t trying to stop. It was like he was possessed. I saw a woman fly into the air after the car hit her,” said Manish Jatav, a local shopkeeper who witnessed the gruesome event from barely ten feet away. Screams filled the air as people scrambled for safety. “It was like a war zone. Blood on the road, people howling in pain, others frozen in disbelief. The driver didn’t even brake,” said another eyewitness, Rukmini Bai, who was returning home after visiting the Mandir.
Three people have so far succumbed to their injuries:
- Mamta Kanwar (50) – a widow and community caretaker, known for running a small langar service at the nearby Hanuman Mandir.
- Awadhesh Pareek (37) – a private schoolteacher, who leaves behind two young children.
- Virendra Singh – a daily wage labourer and the sole breadwinner of his family.
Six others, including a 9-year-old boy and a 65-year-old man, are currently battling critical injuries at SMS Hospital. Doctors say the prognosis remains uncertain for two victims.The incident, however, has taken on a darker dimension following serious allegations by locals that Usman Khan accelerated his vehicle deliberately when passing the Hanuman Mandir — a revered site often crowded during evening hours.
“There was no obstruction, yet he sped up exactly at that turn. We believe it was intentional,” said Arun Sharma, a local resident and eyewitness. Many in the area now suspect that the act might have been more than just a drunken rampage — possibly a hate-driven provocation.
जयपुर में अपनी गाड़ी से 9 लोगों को कुचलने वाले व्यक्ति का नाम उस्मान खान है, जो कांग्रेस का जिला उपाध्यक्ष भी है।
अब तक इस हादसे में एक महिला सहित तीन लोगों की मौत हो चुकी है, जबकि छह अन्य लोग गंभीर रूप से घायल हैं।
कांग्रेस में ऐसे ही आपराधिक प्रवृत्ति के लोगों की भरमार है,… pic.twitter.com/JyTvpoKlbq
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) April 8, 2025
Initial outrage intensified when it emerged that the driver was Usman Khan, a district vice president of the Congress party, a man known to flaunt his connections and post self-congratulatory political content on social media. “This is a pattern with Congress – protect their own until the public outcry becomes too loud. From 1984 to now, the party continues to shield individuals involved in heinous acts,” said Prakash Sinha, a retired IPS officer and current legal activist.
In a disturbing twist, Usman Khan’s last Facebook post, made just a few hours before the carnage, reads:
“Mujhse aaj tak koi bura kaam nahi hua, aur kabhi hoga bhi nahi.” (“I’ve never done anything wrong in my life, and I never will.”) The post has gone viral, being widely shared with furious captions questioning the moral compass of today’s political class.
According to the police, Khan’s car was already involved in multiple accidents that night prior to entering Nahargarh. Reports suggest he was attempting to flee after damaging several vehicles near Bani Park, and while escaping, went on a violent spree through the Nahargarh lane.
Eventually, locals managed to chase him down, drag him out of the vehicle, and beat him up before handing him over to the police. A case has been registered under multiple sections of IPC, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, rash driving, and attempt to cause grievous hurt.
