Prayagraj Road Accident: Father and Two Sons Killed in Horrific Naini Car Crash While on Pilgrimage to Maihar Dham
Prayagraj: What began as a spiritual family journey to seek blessings at Maihar Dham ended in unimaginable tragedy for the Chaurasia family on Friday morning, after a devastating road accident near Leprosy Chauraha in Naini claimed the lives of a father and his two sons.
The horrific crash left several others seriously injured and plunged an entire neighbourhood into mourning.
The accident took place at around 9 am near the railway bridge ahead of Leprosy Chauraha when a speeding SUV carrying three college students reportedly went out of control, mounted the divider, and crashed head-on into a car travelling in the opposite lane.
The impact was so severe that both vehicles overturned and were completely mangled, leaving passengers trapped inside.
Among those killed were 50-year-old Deepak Chaurasia, a well-known kachori businessman from Prayagraj, and his two sons — 22-year-old Divyanshu and 18-year-old Harshit.
Deepak’s daughter Harshita, sister Baby Chaurasia, and brother-in-law Amit Chaurasia sustained injuries and were rushed to hospitals for treatment. Two of the three students travelling in the SUV were also critically injured.
According to police officials, Deepak Chaurasia, originally a resident of Daraganj, had built a successful kachori business in the Parade area through years of hard work.
A few years ago, he shifted with his family to a newly constructed home in Shantipuram, Phaphamau, hoping to provide a better future for his children.
On Friday morning, the family had left home together for a pilgrimage to Maihar Dham, unaware that the journey would become the most heartbreaking moment of their lives.
Deepak was travelling with his sons Divyanshu and Harshit, daughter Harshita, 52-year-old sister Baby Chaurasia, and 55-year-old brother-in-law Amit Chaurasia when the tragedy struck.
While their car was moving towards Naini, another SUV carrying three students was approaching from the Mahawa side.
Police investigations revealed that the students — Prince Kumar from Mahoba, Arpit Yadav from Sultanpur, and Ankit Kumar — were living on rent near Ramnagar Chauraha in Naini while pursuing a BCA course.
Early Friday morning, they had reportedly borrowed an SUV from a friend and travelled to Mahawa to meet another acquaintance. While returning to Ramnagar, the speeding vehicle allegedly lost control.
During questioning, police learned that the SUV was being driven by Arpit Yadav at the time of the accident.
Investigators suspect that the driver may have dozed off momentarily, causing the vehicle to veer across the divider into the opposite lane before crashing into Deepak Chaurasia’s car.
Residents and police personnel rushed to the spot immediately after the collision and pulled the injured passengers out of the wreckage.
The victims were first taken to CHC Chaka and Bailey Hospital. However, doctors declared Deepak Chaurasia and his two sons dead on arrival.
The injured students were later referred to Colvin Hospital for advanced treatment, while Harshita was admitted to Bailey Hospital and Baby and Amit Chaurasia were shifted to Cantt Hospital.
By evening, grief had completely engulfed the Chaurasia household in Shantipuram.
Relatives, neighbours, and friends gathered outside the residence as news of the tragedy spread across the locality.
Heart-wrenching scenes unfolded when the bodies of Deepak and his two sons arrived home after post-mortem examinations.
Deepak’s wife, Tara Devi, who had been visiting her parental home in Kanpur at the time of the accident, rushed back to Prayagraj in a state of shock after receiving the devastating news.
The moment she saw the bodies of her husband and sons, she broke down inconsolably.
Family members and neighbourhood women tried to support her, but the overwhelming grief left everyone around in tears.
The tragedy has become even more painful for those who knew the family personally.
Divyanshu and Harshit were both pursuing LLB studies and had dreams of building successful careers in law, while their daughter Harshita was preparing for the NEET examination with aspirations of becoming a doctor.
Friends and relatives described Deepak as a devoted father who was deeply committed to his children’s education and future.
Locals also recalled that Deepak had already suffered personal loss in the past, as his first wife had passed away years ago.
He later married Tara Devi and rebuilt his family life with hope and determination. Friday’s tragedy, however, shattered the family within moments.
As night fell, the atmosphere in the neighbourhood turned silent and heavy with grief when the funeral processions of the father and his two sons departed together from the house.
Relatives and residents stood in stunned silence, many unable to hold back tears. Late Friday night, all three were cremated together at Rasulabad Ghat. As the funeral pyres burned side by side, the heartbreaking scene left everyone present deeply emotional.
The three students injured in the horrific accident near Leprosy Chauraha — Prince, Arpit, and Ankit — are close friends who had been living together in a rented accommodation near Ramnagar Chauraha in Naini while pursuing their BCA studies.
According to police officials, the three had left early on Friday morning at around 5 am after borrowing an SUV from one of their friends.
They had gone to Mahewa to meet another acquaintance and were returning to Ramnagar later in the morning when tragedy struck on the way.
During the investigation, police found that the vehicle was being driven by Arpit Yadav at the time of the accident.
Preliminary findings suggest that the driver may have briefly dozed off behind the wheel, causing the speeding SUV to lose control.
The vehicle reportedly crossed the divider and crashed head-on into Deepak Chaurasia’s car coming from the opposite direction, leading to the devastating collision.
