Delhi BMW Crash: Accused Woman Driver Sent To 2-Day Judicial Custody
A Delhi court on Monday sent a woman, who allegedly drove the BMW car involved in the crash that killed a senior Finance Ministry official and left his wife injured in Dhaula Kuan, to two days of judicial custody.
- Date & Time:
- |
- Views: 28
- |
- From: India News Bull
Delhi Court Places 38-year-old Gaganpreet Kaur Under Two-Day Judicial Custody Following Fatal BMW Collision.
New Delhi:
A Delhi court on Monday remanded a woman to two days of judicial custody after she allegedly drove a BMW that crashed into a motorcycle, killing a senior Finance Ministry official and injuring his wife in the Dhaula Kuan area.
Duty Magistrate Akanksha Singh ordered 38-year-old Gaganpreet Kaur to judicial custody after her presentation before the judge at her residence. The magistrate determined that custodial interrogation was unnecessary, according to senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, who represents Kaur.
The judge also issued notices to Delhi Police and the victim's family regarding Kaur's bail application, instructing them to submit responses by September 17, when the court will hear the matter.
Navjot Singh (52), Deputy Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs, lost his life when a BMW struck his motorcycle as he and his wife were returning home from Bangla Sahib Gurdwara. His wife Sandeep Kaur sustained serious injuries in the incident.
Police arrested Gaganpreet on Monday on charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder after she was discharged from hospital.
The handling of the crash aftermath has raised several concerns. According to the FIR, Gaganpreet transported the victims to a healthcare facility over 19 kilometers from the accident site, bypassing nearby hospitals.
Additionally, the victims' family alleged that Gaganpreet and her husband received medical treatment before Navjot and his wife, despite the severity of the victims' injuries.
Mr. Pahwa opposed the judicial custody request, pointing out that the FIR was filed after a 10-hour delay.
He argued that the allegations contradicted the DCP's press conference statements, CCTV footage of the accident, and testimonies from those who transported the injured parties to the hospital.
"The DCP stated that CCTV footage shows the BMW first hitting the divider on the curve from the front, with the rear of the vehicle subsequently striking the two-wheeler, which then collided with a DTC bus, resulting in this unfortunate incident where one person died," he explained to the judge.
Mr. Pahwa further contended that arresting the woman was unnecessary as she was already hospitalized.
"Since police custody wasn't even requested, why was there a need to take her into custody and send her to jail? With no recoveries to be made and no accused to identify, what necessity existed for the arrest?" Mr. Pahwa questioned.
He maintained that the accused had no knowledge her actions would result in death and that she "tried her best to provide medical treatment" to the victims.
"She transported them to that particular hospital because, being traumatized herself, she recalled it and believed they would receive better treatment there. No other motive can be attributed to her actions. Since she was also injured, the prosecution's argument that she did this for an ulterior purpose is completely absurd and preposterous," Mr. Pahwa added.
Gaganpreet faces charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita including Section 281 (rash driving on public way), 125B (endangering life or personal safety), 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), and 238 (causing disappearance of evidence or providing false information).
According to the FIR, Navjot Singh, a Hari Nagar resident, was killed when the BMW crashed into his motorcycle on Ring Road around 1:30 PM Sunday. His wife suffered multiple injuries including a fracture and remains hospitalized.
Gaganpreet, wife of Parikshit Makkar, resides in Gurugram. She was traveling in the BMW with her husband, their two children, and a maid when the crash occurred. Her husband sustained minor injuries.
The accused transported Navjot Singh and his wife to Nulife Hospital in north Delhi's GTB Nagar, owned by one of her relatives and located more than 19 kilometers from the accident site. Navjot's family alleged that the small hospital, where he was declared "brought dead," had connections to the accused.
When questioned about not taking them to a closer hospital, Gaganpreet claimed she panicked and was only familiar with that hospital because her children had received treatment there during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a senior police official.
Police sources indicated that potential tampering with the accused woman's medical reports from the hospital is under investigation.
In her statement to police, Sandeep Kaur stated she had repeatedly begged Gaganpreet and her husband to take them to the nearest hospital, as her husband was unconscious and required immediate medical attention.