Mercedes Hit-And-Run: Court Asks Police to Reply to Acussed’s Plea

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

A court in Delhi on Friday asked the Delhi Police to respond to the minor’s plea challenging a Juvenile Justice Board order that he should be tried as an adult. the teenager has been accused of running over and killing Siddharth Sharma.

Additional Sessions Judge Vimal Kumar Yadav asked Delhi Police to file its reply to the minor’s plea and fixed 2 July as the next date for hearing.

The minor, on Thursday, moved a plea before a sessions court challenging the board’s order and said the alleged offence does not fall under the category of a heinous crime.

His counsel, Rajiv Mohan and Abhimanyu Kampani, said the juvenile should be tried under Section 304-A (causing death by negligence) instead of Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code.

In the first prosecution under the amended Juvenile Justice Act, the board on Saturday ordered that the minor will be tried as an adult, allowing the police’s plea. The offender was a few days short of 18 at the time of the incident, and the offence was defined as a heinous crime.

Delhi Police apprehended the minor on 5 April, a day after he knocked down and ran over Siddharth Sharma. The minor was released on bail as he was booked for causing death by negligence. Later, police charged him with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

In the final investigation report, police charged the juvenile with offences under Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 279 and 337.

The juvenile’s father was arrested under Section 304 for letting his minor son drive despite knowing he had caused an accident earlier. The father was also released on bail.

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