Patna: Suspended BJP leader Manoj Baitha, accused of mowing down nine children and leaving 10 others seriously injured in Muzaffarpur district on February 24, surrendered to police early on Wednesday morning.

Baitha, a native of Fatahpur village under Sonbarsa block in Sitamarhi district, had fled to Nepal and was secretly undergoing treatment at a hospital there after he suffered injuries in the accident that killed the children.

Muzaffarpur Sadar sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Gaurav Pandey, heading the special investigation team (SIT) probing the incident, said Baitha surrendered at the official residence of the Muzaffarpur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Vivek Kumar due to intensive raids and mounting police pressure.

The SDPO said Baitha had also received serious injuries. "He was taken to the Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital from where he was referred to PMCH for further treatment. A police team has been deployed at the PMCH to keep watch on him," Pandey added.

He said the police would record Baitha's statement after his condition improves.

"He is learnt to have got 24 stitches on his head and face and also received injuries around his waist. Both the scientific and the circumstantial evidences have suggested that Baitha was driving the SUV at the time of the accident," Pandey said.

Minapur police station house officer Sona Prasad Singh said the CCTV footage obtained from the Runnisaidpur toll plaza on the Sitamarhi-Muzaffarpur road showed Baitha, clad in kurta pyjama, was driving the SUV that later knocked down children crossing the road after school. "The location of the mobile phone and CCTV footage helped police establish that Manoj Baitha was at the spot," the SHO said.