BENGALURU: What began as a secret early-morning drive, carefully concealed from watchful parents, ended in heartbreak for six families in Bengaluru after a fatal crash claimed the lives of six teenage boys.
Through the night, many of the parents had checked in on their sons, believing they were at home preparing for upcoming exams. They had no inkling that the boys had slipped out quietly before dawn for a joyride. The devastating reality emerged only when police made brief, chilling phone calls: “Please come and identify your child’s body.”
By 11am on Friday, anguished parents gathered at MVJ Hospital near Hoskote, stunned and struggling to accept that their children had died in an XUV crash hours earlier. Several families said they initially assumed their sons were asleep in their rooms. It was only when they walked in and found empty beds and unanswered phones that alarm set in.
Four families told TOI they had no knowledge of any late-night plan. The boys had kept the outing secret, stepping out before daybreak while their parents believed they were indoors.
In one household, the father was out of station for work when the accident occurred, leaving the sisters to face the initial shock alone. “He was like my baby,” one sister said through tears, recalling how he had left home earlier than usual without informing anyone.
Police sources said Ashvin Nayar’s mother was aware that he had discussed going out and had asked him not to. She checked on him three times during the night. On the third visit to his room, he was gone. She tried calling him but received no response. Hours later, police contacted her with the news no parent is prepared to hear. Ashvin’s postmortem was delayed as his father, who works in Mumbai, had to travel back to Bengaluru.
Ayan, whose father’s car was involved in the crash, had shown no sign of stepping out. According to sources, his mother had ensured he completed his studies before both went to sleep. Sometime later, he is believed to have taken the keys and driven off in the family’s new car, bought barely six months ago. A neighbour said Ayan knew how to drive, but his parents rarely allowed him behind the wheel.
Mohammed Farhan Shaik’s mother realised he was missing from his bed and immediately called him. “He told me he would be back in 10 minutes,” she later recounted. Trusting his reassurance, she waited. Instead of her son returning home, a call from police arrived around 11am asking her to come to the hospital.
For the families, the tragedy has left behind not just unanswered questions but also the crushing realisation that a brief, secret outing turned fatal within hours. What was meant to be a fleeting adventure before sunrise ended in a loss that will haunt them long after dawn broke over the city.
