In a quest for justice, the wife of a hit-and-run victim in Ghatkopar is challenging the bail granted to the minor driver, alleging evidence tampering and raising concerns about the Juvenile Justice Board's decision.
Key Points
- Wife of hit-and-run victim challenges the bail granted to the 17-year-old minor accused by the Juvenile Justice Board.
- The plea alleges that the minor's release undermines justice and ignores the destruction of evidence in the Ghatkopar accident case.
- The victim's wife argues that the minor's behaviour before the accident and alleged deletion of social media videos were not considered.
- The plea highlights concerns about deliberate recklessness, tampering with evidence, and the minor's capacity to influence proceedings.
The wife of the victim of a hit-and-run accident in Ghatkopar area here has moved the sessions court against the Juvenile Justice Board's (JJB) decision to grant bail to the 17-year-old minor accused in the case.
Meenal Patel, the survivor of the February 5 accident, said in the plea filed through advocate Ruben Mascarenhas that the minor's release undermines the interests of justice and ignores the destruction of evidence.
The incident had occurred near Somaiya College. As per the police, the minor son of a businessman was driving the car that collided with a scooter.
Scooter rider Dhrumil Patel died while his wife Meenal Patel sustained grievous injuries.
The minor and his father were booked under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for rash driving, culpable homicide not amounting to murder and act endangering life and safety of others.
The JJB granted the minor bail on March 7.
Patel, in her plea, sought to cancel the bail and pleaded that he should be kept in the observation home till the investigation is not complete.
"In cases involving culpable homicide not amounting to murder, where evidence of deliberate recklessness, tampering with evidence, financial capacity to influence proceedings and inadequate parental supervision are all present, the 'best interest' principle must be weighed alongside the interest of justice and the rights of victims," the plea said.
The Juvenile Justice Board did not consider the accused's behaviour before the accident which could be seen from the videos uploaded on social media accounts, the petition said, adding that soon after the accident, the minor allegedly deleted all the videos, which amounted to destruction of evidence.
The matter is expected to be heard soon.
