Assam actor Nandini Kashyap hit-and-run: Guwahati police under scrutiny

Guwahati: The Guwahati Traffic Police are facing sharp criticism for their alleged failure to follow standard operating procedures in a recent hit-and-run accident involving Assamese actor Nandini Kashyap. Kashyap is accused of hitting a student with her SUV and fleeing the scene on Friday night, July 25.

Dispur police arrested Nandini Kashyap on Saturday night following the death of 22-year-old Samiul Haque at Apollo Hospital in Guwahati.

The incident occurred around 3:00 AM in the Dakshingaon area of Guwahati. Samiul Haque, a student at Nalbari Polytechnic who also worked part-time for the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), was returning home when he was struck by a Mahindra Scorpio. Witnesses claim Kashyap fled without assisting Haque.

Initially, Kashyap was charged with bailable offenses. However, following Haque's death, police upgraded the charges to non-bailable sections. This escalation has sparked widespread outrage, with many pointing to alleged failures by authorities, including not impounding Kashyap's driving license despite her history of speeding violations.

Questions Raised Over Police Conduct

Significant questions have been raised regarding the Guwahati traffic police's handling of the case:

• Lack of Immediate Tests: Critics are questioning why no medical or breathalyzer tests were conducted on Nandini Kashyap immediately after the accident to determine if she was under the influence of alcohol.
• Delayed Vehicle Seizure: There are also concerns about why Dispur police did not seize the vehicle involved in the accident promptly. Police confirmed that Kashyap's vehicle, a Scorpion NEO (registration number AS 01FM 9199), was seized only on Tuesday, July 29, four days after the incident.
• Conflicting Statements on Awareness: Guwahati police DCP (Traffic) Jayanta Sarathi Borah claimed on Wednesday (July 30), that the traffic department was unaware of the incident until July 26, claiming no traffic personnel visited the spot on the night of July 25.
• However, CCTV footage surfaced on social media showing a police team present at the accident site around 3:36 AM on July 25, directly contradicting Borah's statement.
• This discrepancy has led to questions about the competence of the police force and whether the administration is attempting to protect officers involved in lapses.

Nandini Kashyap's History of Speeding

Reports reveal that Nandini Kashyap has accumulated at least five speeding offenses since March 2024. Challans include:

• March 18, 2024: Speeding violation (Challan No AS207443240318141443).
• May 20, 2024: Speeding violations in Bagori and Kaziranga National Park.
• October 17, 2024: Speeding violation in Barama.
• June 10, 2025: Speeding violation in Nalbari.

In the recent hit-and-run, Kashyap faces non-bailable charges under Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 125B (hit-and-run causing death).

Kashyap was arrested around 1:30 AM while rehearsing at Rajdhani Theatre in Guwahati and was later produced before a court by Dispur police. Initially, Dispur police registered the case under Case No. 630/25 with bailable sections (BNS 115(2), 125(b), and 281).

Kashyap was summoned for questioning and released on bond. However, following Samiul Haque's death, police obtained court permission to include non-bailable sections, leading to her re-arrest.

Past Controversies Involving Dispur Police

This incident is not the first time Dispur police have been accused of leniency in high-profile cases. In October 2021, model Rajkanya Baruah was accused of injuring nine people and killing one in a late-night collision.

Dispur police initially granted her bail, but she was re-arrested after significant public outrage. She was subsequently booked under IPC Sections 279, 294, 388, and 353 and later released on bail by the Gauhati High Court on March 9, 2022.