What started as an off-roading adventure for a group of enthusiasts ended up with their Mahindra Thar getting submerged into a lake near Delhi. The SUV had to be pulled out of the water using another Thar 4×4.
There are many off-roading groups in the national capital region (NCR) which regularly go to the Aravallis adjoining Gurugram and Faridabad on weekends. On Sunday, one such group, identified as ‘Gang of Thars’, decided to take their ‘trusted’ Thar through every terrain. During their journey, they decided to drive through a lake, and that decision turned into a nightmare for them as one of the Thars drowned.
Visuals from the ground show the Mahindra Thar submerged in water while its driver stands nearby with his jeans rolled up. The driver is seen talking to a fellow Thar Driver who says, “Mujhe is cheez ki khushi hai me theek hu (I am glad I am alright).” He then adds, “Bhaisahab, me hairaan hu aap nikal kaise gaye ho! (I am surprised how you managed to get out of the car).”
In the background, people can be seen tying the submerged Thar to another SUV to pull it.
Mahindra Thar submerged in water.
Another video showcases the struggle of pulling the SUV, which typically weighs between 1700 kg and 1845 kg, out of the water.
It is not clear how the accident occurred and if there was anyone else apart from the driver in the car.
Off-roading is the activity of driving or riding a vehicle on unpaved surfaces like sand, gravel, mud, snow, or rocks, rather than on public roads.
The SUV is infamous for being involved in road accidents or participating in life-threatening stunts. Last month, a viral video showed a Mahindra Thar being driven recklessly near the Sadar Bazaar area in Gurugram while the passenger stands on the side-step with the door open and urinates from the moving vehicle.
Thar takes centre stage when it comes to checking of vehicles, said Haryana Director General of Police, OP Singh, during an interaction with reporters on Saturday.
“If it’s a Thar, how can we let it go? Or if it’s a Bullet motorcycle… all rogue elements use these two. The choice of vehicle reflects your mindset. People who drive Thars perform stunts on the road. The son of an assistant commissioner of police ran over someone while driving a Thar. He wants his son freed, and we asked him whose name the car is registered in. It’s in his name, so he is the rogue element,” Singh said in Hindi.
Turning to a fellow policeman, he continued: “If we make a list of cops, how many will have a Thar? And whoever has it, he must be crazy (‘dimaag ghuma hua hoga uska’)… It’s a statement. The Thar is not a car, it’s a statement which says ‘this is how I am’. Okay then, suffer. You can’t have it both ways. You can’t indulge in hooliganism and then expect not to get caught,” he added.
