New Delhi: The high-profile BMW crash in Delhi that killed senior Finance Ministry officer Navjot Singh last week took a dramatic turn in court on Wednesday. Accused driver Gaganpreet Kaur’s counsel argued that not just the luxury car, but even a DTC bus and an ambulance bore responsibility for the tragedy.
Senior advocate Ramesh Gupta, appearing for Kaur, claimed that Singh’s two-wheeler was first hit by a DTC bus before colliding with the BMW. He further alleged that an ambulance which briefly halted at the site refused to help the victims and should also be held culpable. Calling the crash “unfortunate,” Gupta said accidents happen every day and accused police of singling out his client under “immense pressure.” He questioned why the bus was not seized and why the FIR was filed nearly 10 hours after the accident.
The prosecution, however, strongly rebutted the defence claims, pointing out that Kaur waited nearly five hours before informing police. They questioned why she drove the injured 19 kilometres to a hospital co-owned by her father instead of the nearest facility. Investigators allege this was an attempt to tamper with evidence.
Prosecutors also accused Kaur of faking injuries, noting she was caught on camera pulling her children out of the car, yet later ended up in the ICU. A taxi driver testified that he urged her to take the victims to a nearby hospital, but she refused.
Kaur faces charges under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), Section 281 (rash driving), and Section 125B (endangering life or safety of others). Her lawyer maintained the most serious charge was wrongly invoked, stressing that women accused are entitled to bail even in grave offences.
The Patiala House Court also issued notice on a defence plea to preserve CCTV footage from the accident site. The matter will be heard Thursday. Kaur, arrested Monday, remains in judicial custody until September 27, with her bail plea listed for Saturday.
