Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: An SUV driver, Manuj Kathuria, who drove through a waterlogged street beside a coaching centre before its basement flooded, resulting in the deaths of three students, has been granted bail on a bond of Rs 50,000. This decision followed the Delhi Police’s announcement to drop the charge of ‘culpable homicide not amounting to murder’ against him.
The bail was granted by Additional Sessions Judge Rakesh Kumar during an appeal hearing against the denial of bail by a magisterial court earlier in the week. “The bail is allowed,” stated Judge Kumar.
Mr. Kathuria had been accused of driving his Force Gurkha SUV through a flooded street, causing water to breach the gates of the three-storey building housing the coaching centre and inundate the basement, where the tragic deaths occurred.
The Delhi Police explained the decision to drop the severe charge: “During further investigation, it has transpired that the ingredients of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) are, at this stage, not sufficiently established,” the police stated. They noted that a more accurate assessment would be possible after an expert team from IIT-Delhi inspects the site and submits its findings. Currently, the primary charge against Mr. Kathuria is under Sec 281 BNS (rash driving or riding on a public way).
Initially, Mr. Kathuria’s bail was denied by the magisterial court, which deemed the offence as “serious” and considered the bail plea “untenable at this stage.” This denial came shortly after the Delhi High Court, led by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan, criticized the police’s handling of the case, questioning the rationale behind arresting the driver. “What is Delhi Police doing? Have they lost it? This is a cover-up or what?” the high court remarked while hearing a petition for a probe into the incident.
Mr. Kathuria was arrested on Monday alongside four co-owners of the basement. On the preceding Sunday, a magisterial court had ordered 14-day judicial custody for Rau’s IAS Study Circle owner Abhishek Gupta and coordinator Deshpal Singh.
