A chargesheet against his father will be filed before the Girgaum court within a day or two, said the D B Marg police. As a deterrent, the laws have been bolstered to take strict action against parents/guardians if minors take out family vehicles and end up in accidents.
Akbar Khan, 42, was out with his friend, Kiran Khan, 37, and others to celebrate his birthday. They had dinner, and cut a cake at midnight. He was on his way home from Marine Drive when the accident happened at 5.17am.
As Khan took a right turn, the speeding boy applied the brakes. Since it had rained in the night, the car skidded and slammed into the bike. The victims were flung into the air and fell on the road. Akbar died on the spot, and Kiran was admitted to JJ Hospital, where she succumbed in the evening. The boy and his friend, who had sneaked out in the car from Parel, did not sustain any injury.
The chargesheet has been submitted to the Juvenile Justice Board. After a probe by DCP Mohit Garg, senior PI Vinay Ghorpade and PI Nitin Mhadik, the minor has been charged under sections 304A (causing death by negligence), 279 (rash driving) of IPC and section 181 of the Motor Vehicle Act that prohibits driving by underage persons without licence. Under the juvenile justice system, a minor in conflict with the law faces a maximum of three years in correctional homes.
“We have attached statements of 32 witnesses. The boy’s blood sample was collected and sent to Kalina FSL to find out if he was drunk, we are waiting for the report. We will send it to the court once we receive it,” said an officer.
The police have submitted CCTV footage, statements of witnesses, and the statement of the minor’s friend who was in the car. The police said the minor had not reduced speed though the traffic light had turned to amber.
The boy’s father had bought the car from another person and the registration was yet to be transferred to his family, said an officer. “The person under whose name the car was registered sent the details over WhatsApp. He is in Dubai,” added the officer.
