The sessions court on Wednesday granted bail to Valaji Raja Bhushan, father of the minor accused in the February 5 SUV crash in Ghatkopar that killed businessman Dhrumil Patel and injured his wife Meenal. The court held that the available material does not prima facie establish that Bhushan knowingly allowed his son to drive the vehicle.
Allowing the bail application, additional sessions judge RM Jadhav noted that “indisputably, the applicant/accused was not present in the vehicle or driving the offending vehicle at the time of occurrence”. The court recorded that it was the juvenile son who was allegedly behind the wheel of the vehicle involved in the crash and that the investigation against the father was substantially complete.
The judge also referred to statements recorded during the investigation, indicating that the vehicle’s keys had been handed to the building security guard earlier in the evening and were later taken by the minor.
According to the guard’s statement, the father had parked the SUV and left the keys with him, after which the son “asked for the keys” and drove away with the car. Under these circumstances, the court observed that the material prima facie suggested that the father “was not having knowledge of the fact that at the time of incident, his son took the vehicle”.
Bhushan’s bail application was strongly opposed by the victim’s family through an intervention application filed by Meenal Patel, widow of the deceased, through advocate Ruben Mascarenhas. The family argued that Bhushan, as the father of the minor driver and the registered owner of the vehicle, bore responsibility for allowing an unlicensed juvenile access to the car.
They also alleged that the son had a history of reckless driving and had posted videos on social media, performing dangerous stunts with vehicles. Mascarenhas further submitted that the accused wielded influence and could interfere with the investigation if released on bail.
The victim’s relatives also claimed that attempts had been made to settle the case through an offer of ₹40 lakh as “blood money”.
A letter written to the police claimed that “word was sent to the family… of the offer of ‘blood money’ of ₹40 lakh for “settlement of the case”.
The fatal accident took place late at night on February 5 near Somaiya College in Vidyavihar. According to the prosecution, a Kia Seltos allegedly driven by the 17-year-old rammed into a scooter on which Dhrumil Patel and his wife Meenal were travelling, leaving both critically injured.
Patel succumbed to his injuries after battling for life in hospital, while Meenal survived with serious injuries. Following his death, investigators added the offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with provisions relating to rash and negligent driving and offences under the Motor Vehicles Act.
The deceased’s family has also demanded that the 17-year-old accused be tried as an adult.
Police had earlier arrested Bhushan on allegations that he had allowed his minor son to drive the vehicle despite knowing that he did not possess a driving licence.
By Vikrant Jha
www.hindustantimes.com
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