The wife of 33-year-old Dhrumil Patel, who died following a February 5 accident near Somaiya College in Vidyavihar, has approached the Bombay High Court seeking cancellation of bail granted to the father of a 17-year-old accused, as per the report by The Hindustan Times. The minor is accused of driving without licence and crashing into the couple’s scooter.
The petition challenges a March 4 sessions court order that granted bail to the father, who owns the vehicle. Filed under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita through advocate Ruben Mascarenhas, the plea argues that the court overlooked crucial evidence indicating the father’s knowledge of and role in enabling the offence. This includes alleged stunt-driving videos posted on social media and prior instances of reckless driving by the minor.
According to the petition, repeated access to the car by the minor suggests that the father was aware of his actions, making him liable under the Motor Vehicles Act. It also raises serious concerns about an alleged INR 40 lakh “blood money” offer made to the victim’s family to withdraw the complaint, along with the possibility of witness intimidation and tampering with evidence.
As per the FIR registered at Tilak Nagar police station, the minor allegedly rammed the scooter at around 11:15 pm on February 5, critically injuring both victims. Patel later succumbed to his injuries on February 15. Following his death, police added charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, along with rash and negligent driving and other offences under the Motor Vehicles Act.
The father was arrested on February 10 under Section 199A, which holds guardians accountable for offences committed by minors. While a Vikhroli magistrate had initially denied him bail on February 23 citing prima facie evidence, the sessions court later granted bail, stating there was insufficient proof that he knew the car had been taken.
The widow’s plea counters this, claiming the sessions court misinterpreted key witness statements, including that of a watchman, and ignored a pattern suggesting the minor had easy access to car keys. It also highlights deleted Instagram posts allegedly showing reckless driving, arguing that their removal points to possible evidence tampering.
The petition further states that the investigation was still ongoing when bail was granted and that important witness statements were yet to be recorded. It calls the bail conditions inadequate and argues that there was no significant change in circumstances to justify overturning the magistrate’s earlier rejection.
The Bombay High Court will now examine whether the sessions court ignored material evidence, the extent of a guardian’s liability under Section 199A, and whether the alleged post-offence actions such as deletion of social media posts and attempts to influence witnesses warrant cancellation of bail.
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