The start of the New Year turned bloody for Patel Chowk in Chutia, when a young man, allegedly drunk, mowed down seven people gathered near a tea stall around 2am, killing two and badly injuring five.

It has been learnt that Jaitan Bedi, 21, was driving home from a party in an inebriated state, when he lost control of the car and hit a group of catering employees from a nearby banquet hall who were having tea at a roadside stall after work. Unable to stop the car, he crashed it into two parked bikes.

Of the seven, the two men who died instantly were Badal Karmali of Chutupalu and Ajay Bhokta of Sikidiri. Though they were rushed to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Bariatu, they were declared brought dead. The injured, Manish Karmali, Pradeep Karmali, Dilip Karmali, Sumit Karmali and Sonu Karmali are being treated at RIMS. All of the injured are residents of Ramgarh district.

It has been learnt that the deceased and the injured are all aged between 18 and 25. They had all come to work at the banquet hall where a New Year’s eve party was organised.

It has not yet been learnt where Bedi had partied. Police were not forthcoming with Bedi’s details. He was identified only as the son of Amarjit Bedi of Sukhdeonagar.

Asked where Bedi had been kept now, a policeman told The Telegraph: “He is being kept at a safe place as he was badly thrashed by the mob after the accident. The situation had been tense but the police rescued the youth.”

Asked, Ranchi city DSP Amit Kumar, coming on quote, said: “Driver is under police custody. Two persons have died and five others are injured. Necessary action will be taken by the police. It is being examined whether the driver was driving in drunken condition.”

But police sources without coming on record said Bedi was found “heavily drunk”.

A policeman said Bedi, after hitting the group of catering employees and ramming his car into two stationary bikes, tried to escape with his car but bystanders chased and caught him. “The crash had completely damaged the car’s front, and so it stopped near Ranchi railway station. People got him out and beat him up badly till he was rescued by the police. We are trying to contact the family members of the deceased and injured,” said the police official.