The BMW accident near IIT Delhi on Sunday night may have grabbed the headlines this week but the Capital has a long history of fatal accidents involving speeding luxury cars. In a number of such cases the victims have been either unsuspecting pedestrians or other drivers on the road. As the cases linger on for years in courts, the aggrieved families struggle to find justice and compensation.
HT takes a look at five such cases over the last two decades.
Janakpuri hit-and-run: Janakpuri, June 13, 2016
Returning home in an inebriated state after a party at a friend’s home, a 21-year-old BBA student driving a Honda City, allegedly mowed down three persons over a distance of two kilometres. Two of them died on the spot. A police team then chased the accused for 15 minutes and nabbed him.
Investigation: The accused was booked for causing death by negligence and culpable homicide not amounting to murder. He was arrested but granted bail later.
Status: Chargesheet has been filed in court against the accused. Trial yet to begin.
Mercedes hit-and-run: Civil Lines, April 4, 2016
A teen, out with his six friends in his father’s Mercedes car, allegedly hit a 32-year-old management student who was crossing the road. The victim was killed on the spot while the accused, who was to turn 18 in five days, sped away in his car.
Investigation: CCTV footage of the incident led to the identification of the car. The boy’s father allegedly sent a ‘dummy’ driver to claim responsibility for the accident. However, the police apprehended the boy and booked him for rash driving and causing death by negligence. His father was arrested for abetting the crime and his driver was nabbed for misleading the police.
Status: Chargesheet has been filed against the accused trio. The boy is being tried as an adult by a Juvenile Justice Board. Trial is on against his father and driver as well. The three are currently out on bail.
Lamborghini accident: BRT Coridor, February 19, 2012
Anukool Rishi, a real estate scion, allegedly lost control of his Lamborghini while speeding. He was killed in the mishap on South Delhi’s BRT Corridor while a cyclist was injured. The car’s safety airbags had failed to open as the driver had not fastened his seat belt.
Investigation: Probe revealed that Rishi had bought the car from a jeweller but had not changed the vehicle registration. Police registered a case of culpable homicide and causing death due to negligence.
Status: Report filed in court
Utsav Bhasin BMW accident: Moolchand Flyover, September 11, 2008
Utsav Bhasin, son of a Haryana-based industrialist, allegedly rammed his BMW into a motorcycle on Moolchand Flyover. The motorcyclist was killed while another person was injured. The accused then abandoned his car and fled the spot.
Investigation: Bhasin surrendered in a court a few days later and was booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Status: The case continues in court while Bhasin is out on bail
Nanda hit-and-run: Lodhi Road, January 10, 1999
Six persons, including three policemen, were killed when a BMW driven by Sanjeev Nanda, son of industrialist Suresh Nanda, allegedly ran over a police checkpoint. Nanda and his co-passenger ignored the dying persons and drove off. They later cleaned the car to remove any evidence.
Investigation: The accused was traced from a trail left behind by the leaking oil of his car. He was charged with culpable homicide but acquitted by a trial court in 1999.
Status: The case went up for retrial, resulting in Nanda’s conviction, but his sentence was reduced to two years which he had already spent behind the bars. He was awarded a penalty and ordered to do community service for two years.
