Car driver arrested, released on bail

A 32-year-old taxi driver was arrested for the accident which allegedly killed Union Rural Development Minister Gopinath Munde on Tuesday. The arrest was made over the allegations of Munde's driver, police said.

The accused has been identified as Gurvinder Singh, a resident of south Delhi's Mehrauli. According to police, preliminary probe revealed that Gurvinder was speeding and jumped a red traffic signal at Prithviraj Road-Tughlak Road traffic intersection.

Accordingly, a case under section 279 (rash driving) and 304-A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code was registered against Gurvinder with Tughlak Road police station.

Gurvinder was arrested and produced before Patiala House Court in the evening. The court, however, granted him bail on the grounds that the sections of the IPC are bailable.

Gurvinder was also asked to furnish surety and bonds of Rs 30,000 each. Police wanted Gurvinder to be sent for a Test Identification Parade (TIP) and had demanded that Gurvinder be sent to judicial custody for 14 days.

In a TIP, the accused is identified by the victim or the complainant of a case.
Police also told the court that the Intelligence Bureau and the Special Cell of the Delhi Police are investigating possibilities of a conspiracy behind the incident.

Joint Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) M K Meena said that Gurvinder worked as a driver with Hotel Imperial at central Delhi’s Janpath, but the hotel denied it. The hotel claims that Gurvinder was not employed by them and that he used to work with a cab operator having contract with them.

“To put the record straight, Hotel Imperial has no concern with the Indica car and its driver Gurvinder Singh,” the hotel said in a statement.

The hotel added that they have an agreement with Silver Service for provision of transportation services for hotel guests and that Gurvinder is an employee of Silver Service.

“It is further clarified that the car and driver involved in the accident were not on duty of Hotel Imperial in any manner whatsoever,” the statement added.