Actor Vikram arrested for model Sonika s death (Lead)

Kolkata July 7 (IANS) Actor Vikram Chatterjee was arrested early on Friday in connection with the death of model Sonika Chauhan in a car accident in April police said.

He was intercepted by police while travelling in a car near a south Kolkata Mall at around 12.15 a.m. He has since been remanded in three-day police custody police said.

"Around 0015 hours on receipt of information about movement of Vikram Chatterjee police officers intercepted him while travelling in a cab just before Acropolis Mall on Rashbehari Avenue Connector " informed sources said.

"He was presented in an Alipore court on Friday afternoon and was remanded in custody till July 10 " police said.

Vikram was at the wheel while Sonika was sitting on the front seat when the accident happened on April 29 on a south Kolkata Street while both were returning from a party. He has been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and rash and negligent driving.

According to police a forensic test on the car revealed its speed was between 95 and 115 km per hour a few seconds before the accident.

During police questioning the actor allegedly confessed to consuming alcohol on the night of the accident. However he claimed he was not drunk and was not overspeeding.

Sonika was rushed to a city hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. The actor sustained a head injury and was hospitalised.

--IANS
mgr/ssp/tsb/bg