Hit-and-Run Accused Had a Record, Charged With Culpable Homicide

The juvenile accused, driving the Mercedes in New Delhi, had been involved in many cases of traffic rule violations.

Sidharth Sharma, the 32-year-old marketing consultant who died in a hit-and-run case. (Photo Courtesy: Screengrab from CCTV footage)

The 17-year-old who allegedly ran over Sidharth Sharma with his father’s Mercedes in New Delhi’s Civil Lines has now been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Police said that the charges also took into consideration his past record of negligent driving.

Delhi Police will reportedly confiscate the passport of the accused so that he doesn’t flee the country during the trial. Currently, the police are also verifying if the accused is indeed an adult and if the papers that show he is a juvenile are fake.

The accused was a juvenile at the time the crime was committed but he turned 18 on 8 April.

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 death cannot be ruled out. 

<b>Madhur Verma, DCP (North) </b>

Accused a Repeat Offender

Madhur Verma, DCP (North) added,

During the investigation, it emerged that it was not the first offence of rash and negligent driving by this accused juvenile. In the past too he was found driving in a rash and negligent way, thereby causing a road accident with another vehicle.&nbsp;

Last year, the minor also got a challan three times – for over-speeding in April and June and wrong parking in February.

“In view of these facts, the death of Siddharth Sharma is a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and, hence, Section 304 of IPC has been added in the FIR,” said Verma.

Five Challans in Eight Months

Abetment to Culpable Homicide

Delhi Police on Friday arrested the juvenile’s father, an Old Delhi-based businessman, under Sections 109/304 (abetment to culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of IPC.

“There has not been a single step taken by the father of the accused in prohibiting him from taking the vehicle. This is an act of criminal omission, thereby abetting the crime of the said juvenile,” the official said.

Meanwhile, the investigating officer of the case was also changed after the victim Siddharth Sharma’s sister met Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma on Friday and urged him to take strict action against the perpetrators.

The incident took place on Monday when Sharma was trying to cross a road near Ludlow Castle School in Civil Lines and the speeding Mercedes hit him.

After the incident, a group of youths stepped out of the vehicle and fled the spot, abandoning the car there.

The last time Delhi police booked someone under culpable homicide in such a matter was in the Sanjeev Nanda BMW case 17 years ago, a senior official said.

Also Read:
Father of Underage Driver Arrested in Civil Lines Hit-and-Run Case
Why We Need to Watch the Mercedes Hit-and-Run Video