Editorial: Hit and run

Among the several indignations heaped upon Indians, the one affront that stands out is how the long arm of the law metes out justice — to the privileged, and to those who aren’t. The district Juvenile Justice Board recently cancelled the bail granted to a 17-year-old youth who was involved in a car accident that killed two young techies in Pune and remanded him to an observation home till June 5. On Sunday, the Board had granted him bail hours after the accident, while urging him to write a 300-word essay on road accidents, an order that drew an onslaught of criticism from various quarters.

Following public outcry, the police approached the Board again, seeking a review of its order and permission to treat the teenager as an adult accused on the ground that the crime was of heinous nature. An FIR has since been registered against the minor, who is the son of a real estate developer, under IPC sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 304 A (causing death by negligence), 279 (rash driving ), 337 (causing hurt by an act which endangers human life), 338 (causing grievous hurt by an act endangering life or personal safety) and relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act.

What observers pointed out as a travesty of justice is how the preliminary blood test report of the minor involved in the mishap failed to turn up any evidence of alcohol consumption. This despite the fact that CCTV footage clearly showed the teenager partaking in drinks. The Maharashtra excise department has sealed two restaurants, where the underage customer was allegedly served liquor. There’s also the smoking gun in the form of the luxury car, an unregistered Porsche, driven by the teen who did not possess a licence.

While Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut demanded suspension of the Police Commissioner, observers have asked how many palms had to be greased, and to what extent, so that the juvenile could be treated with such leniency. Not that this is the first instance of privilege overriding, or rather, delaying justice delivery.

In February, a speeding Mercedes, allegedly driven by a woman named Ritu Maloo on Ram Jhula bridge in Nagpur, mowed down two friends — Mohd Hussain Mustafa and Mohd Ateef Ziya — who were riding a two-wheeler. The driver of the luxury car, who fled the scene, was eventually arrested, and given bail within a couple of hours by the court. Almost three months to the incident, Maloo hasn’t seen the inside of a jail cell.

This is also the case with Bollywood star Salman Khan, whose car ran over five people sleeping on a pavement in Mumbai, killing a homeless man and injuring four others in September 2002. In 2015, the Bombay High Court overturned Khan’s conviction in the hit-and-run case, acquitted him of all charges (his driver was seemingly behind the wheel). The appeals judge cited that key evidence, including testimony from a policeman who has since died, was not reliable.

The recent Pune accident was oddly juxtaposed against the backdrop of an announcement made by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways pertaining to new regulations for obtaining a driving licence in India. Starting June 1, individuals can take driving tests at private driving training centres instead of government RTOs, as such centres will be authorised to conduct tests and issue certificates for licence eligibility. And what about compliance and integrity checks? You can stash them in the boot.