JOIN USThe father of the teenager accused in Civil Lines Mercedes Benz case has been arrested on graver charges of ‘abetting culpable homicide not amounting to murder’. Another glaring fact has come out that it was not the first offence of rash driving by the boy, who turned 18 on Friday.
The Mercedes driven by the boy killed a 35-year-old pedestrian in north Delhi on Monday. Eight minor boys as young as 10 years were in the car. The boy’s father, Manoj Aggarwal, was produced before court on Saturday and sent to a day in police custody.
“On examination of CCTV footage, the possibility of knowledge to the accused juvenile offender that his extremely fast driving in a residential area can cause a death cannot be ruled out,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Madhur Verma.
“In the past also, he has been found driving in a rash and negligent way thereby causing a road accident with another vehicle,” he added.
On the basis of the investigation so far, police have added charges under section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code. The charge earlier was under sections 279 (rash driving) and 337 (causing hurt) of the IPC.
Police also said there has not been a single step taken by Aggarwal in prohibiting him from taking the vehicle. “This is an act of criminal omission, thereby abetting the crime of the juvenile,” Verma said.
The Aggarwal family lives at Oberoi Apartments in Civil Lines. Initially, Aggarwal had claimed that the car was with his driver.
Aggarwal car, Mercedes-Benz C 200 Kompressor — DL 2F CM 3000, was earlier booked for speeding and rash driving thrice in the past. A notice for speeding was issued last month and two challans in April and June 2015.
The victim, Siddharth Sharma, was pursuing BBA from a private college in south Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar.
The footage of CCTV cameras in Civil Lines reveal the kids walking away from the spot. They didn’t help Sharma and just calmly stood there. “They made calls. For a long while. Then, two of them walk away. The accused is one of the two. They don’t run, they just calmly walk away,” said Saj, Sharma’s friend.
On Sunday, an event demanding strict action against the juvenile and his father will be held at 5 pm at Connaught Place’s Central Park.