Court grants bail to driver in Munde's accident case

A Delhi court today granted bail to Gurvinder Singh who was arrested in connection with the accident which led to the death of Union Rural Development Minister Gopinath Munde.

Singh was produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Puneet Pahwa and the Delhi Police told the court that the Intelligence Bureau and the Special Cell were investigating whether there was any conspiracy angle behind the accident.

The police told the court that Test Identification Parade of the accused was required to be conducted and Singh be remanded to 14-day judicial custody.

The magistrate, however, said the offences brought against the arrested person were bailable and if required, the police can take his custody later on.

"Accused produced after fresh arrest. Request for 14 days judicial custody sought. The offences being bailable, accused is admitted to bail on a personal bond and a surety bond of Rs 30,000 each," the court said.

During the brief hearing, the police told the court that further investigation was going on to find out whether there was any conspiracy behind the incident.

"The Special Cell (of Delhi Police) and Intelligence Bureau are investigating all the aspects and they are not leaving any stone unturned to investigate whether there was any conspiracy angle," the police said.

Advocate Vikas Padora, who appeared for Singh, opposed the police plea seeking remand of the accused to judicial custody saying the offences alleged against him were bailable.

According to the police, Singh was arrested for the offences under sections 279 (rash and negligent driving) and 304A (causing death by negligence) of the IPC. The offences entails a maximum punishment of two years jail.

64-year-old Munde, a popular backward class leader from Maharashtra, died apparently of shock and cardiac arrest suffered during the road accident early in the morning.

Munde, who made his entry into the Union Cabinet for the first time last week, was on his way to the airport when his car was hit by another vehicle at Prithviraj Road-Tughlak Road roundabout in the heart of the national capital.

A senior police official said the offending vehicle was an Indica car, driven by Singh, which jumped the traffic signal at Aurobindo Chowk and collided with the Maruti Suzuki SX 4 in which Munde was travelling towards Safdarjung Road from Prithviraj Road.

The Indica was coming towards Tughlaq Road, a little over a km from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official residence, and hit Munde's car towards the passenger side where the minister was sitting, the police official said, adding Munde fell on the seat immediately after the car was hit.

Gurvinder Singh was detained from the spot and later arrested.