Published Aug 06, 2026 | 5:08 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 06, 2026 | 5:08 PM
PG medical student on ventilator after drunk driver rams scooter. (Supplied)
Synopsis: According to the Prakash Nagar police, two men, S Dasvanth and Andrew Joseph Edwards arrived at the mall’s Saradhi Cinemas visibly drunk on Monday night. When security staff used a breathalyser to confirm they had been drinking and denied them entry, the two allegedly assaulted the mall’s security personnel before heading to the parking lot to leave. Around the same time, Sai Umesh, a Radiology postgraduate, and Priyanka, a Dermatology postgraduate, both students at GSL Medical College, were leaving the mall on a scooter. Dasvanth, who was driving a Tata Nexon car, rammed the scooter from behind twice in a rash and negligent manner.
A postgraduate medical student is on ventilator support in Hyderabad, Telangana, after a drunk driver rammed his car into a scooter outside Prasaditya Mall on AVA Road in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, on the night of Monday, 3 August.
A video of the incident went viral on social media on 6 August.
According to the Prakash Nagar police, two men, S Dasvanth and Andrew Joseph Edwards arrived at the mall’s Saradhi Cinemas visibly drunk on Monday night. When security staff used a breathalyser to confirm they had been drinking and denied them entry, the two allegedly assaulted the mall’s security personnel before heading to the parking lot to leave.
Around the same time, Sai Umesh, a Radiology postgraduate, and Priyanka, a Dermatology postgraduate, both students at GSL Medical College, were leaving the mall on a scooter.
Dasvanth, who was driving a Tata Nexon car, rammed the scooter from behind twice in a rash and negligent manner.
When Priyanka, who was the pillion rider, looked back to see what had happened, the car struck the scooter a third time, more forcefully, on the main road outside the mall gate. Both students were thrown to the ground and the accused fled the scene.
A passerby rushed Priyanka and Umesh, who were bleeding heavily, to Swatantra Hospital in Rajahmundry. While Umesh suffered a concussion, Priyanka sustained more severe injuries, including a fractured skull and brain damage. She was later shifted to KIMS Hospital in Hyderabad, where she remains on ventilator support.
Earlier reports claimed the car had driven over Priyanka after she fell. Prakash Nagar SHO Bajilal told South First this was inaccurate.
Two FIRs have been registered at Prakash Nagar police station in connection with the incident. Based on Umesh’s hospital statement, a case was filed against Dasvanth and Edwards under BNS Section 125(b).
A separate case, based on a complaint from mall cinema manager Vijay, has been registered under BNS Sections 118(1) and 351(2) read with 3(5), related to the assault on mall security staff.
No arrests have been made so far, despite the incident occurring 3 days ago.
“We will arrest the accused after altering the FIR with more grievous sections. We are also monitoring the woman’s health condition. In case of fatality, we are considering adding charges of culpable homicide or murder,” said SHO Bajilal.
(With inputs from Sreshta Ladegaam)
