Kamal Ghorui
FARIDABAD: A 15-year-old boy was killed and two of his friends were critically injured after their Thar SUV plunged nearly 50 feet into a gorge in Sirohi village of Faridabad on Tuesday afternoon while they were filming a stunt video in the Aravalli hills.The deceased, Vedang Babu alias Sohan (15), a Class 9 student originally from Siwan district in Bihar and currently living in Karnera village of Ballabhgarh, was declared dead at Al-Falah Medical College and hospital. The injured — Vikas Kumar (21), who was driving the vehicle, and Himmat — are stated to be in critical condition. A fourth companion, Vikram, sustained minor injuries.The accident occurred around 2.30pm when the four friends drove a Thar SUV off the main road onto a rough trail in the hills near Sirohi village, around 18–20 km from Faridabad headquarters. Police said the group had reached close to a 50–60 ft deep gorge and were making reels while performing stunts inside the vehicle.During this, the SUV suddenly went into reverse gear and rolled into the gorge, shattering on impact.Locals passing through the trail witnessed the vehicle fall and alerted police and villagers. Residents rushed to the spot, climbed down into the gorge and pulled out the injured youths before police arrived. The three seriously injured were taken to Al-Falah Medical College, where doctors declared Sohan dead.Police shifted the body to the mortuary of BK Hospital for post-mortem and informed the family. A cop at Dhauj police station said statements of the injured will be recorded to ascertain the exact sequence of events.A police officer said Vikas Kumar, a resident of Balaji Colony in Karnera village, was driving the Thar, which is registered in Deoria district of Uttar Pradesh. His family had brought the vehicle to Faridabad about a month ago. Vikas is self-employed, cops said.Sohan’s father, Pramod, works in a private company. The family hails from Bihar’s Siwan district and lives in Ballabhgarh.Police and local authorities remained at the site till late evening, using a crane to retrieve the mangled vehicle from the gorge.Sirohi village, nestled in the Aravalli hills along Ballabhgarh-Sohna Road, is known for its rocky terrain and lakes formed due to past mining activity. One such waterbody, Panikot Lake — also called Sirohi Lake — draws visitors from Delhi-NCR for photography and short trips, earning the area the nickname “Mini Ladakh.”
