Drugs Found In Vadodara Accident Accused's Blood In Gujarat Police's Rapid Test; Sample Sent For Forensic Confirmation

Rakshit Chaurasiya, a law student implicated in the death of a woman and the injury of seven others in a car accident in Gujarat's Vadodara is under investigation for driving while intoxicated, Indian Express reported.

The accident happened on the late evening of 13 March when Chaurasiya was driving a fast-moving Volkswagen Virtus. He collided with three motorcycles in the Karelibaug area, resulting in the death of Hemali Patel and injuries to several others, including two children aged 10 and 12.

The intoxication suspicion arose after a rapid test kit detected drugs in his bloodstream subsequent to his detention in the wake of the accident. High-ranking law enforcement officials, who are privy to the investigation, verified to The Indian Express that a narcotics quick test kit affirmed the detection of drugs in Chaurasiya's bloodstream following his apprehension subsequent to the accident.

Senior police officers have clarified that the rapid drug test kit, currently in use by the Gujarat police, is not legally admissible as evidence in court. The kit simply serves as an indicator of the presence of drugs.

Authorities reported that they have dispatched blood samples from Chaurasiya, his fellow passenger Praanshu Chauhan, and another friend who was with them prior to the accident, to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL).

The specialist explained that besides conducting tests for the detection of ethyl alcohol in the blood, the FSL also employs the gas chromatographic method to identify the presence of drugs in the bloodstream.

This "non-destructive" separation technique assists the FSL in compiling a definitive report on the presence of drugs in bodily fluids, particularly blood samples. Such a report can be used as admissible evidence in a court of law.