Mohali: Man convicted in 2019 crash that killed girl, injured father

The case dates back to the night of December 11, 2019, when Gaganpreet Singh Ahluwalia was returning home with his daughter Kudrat in their car after visiting VR Punjab Mall

A local court convicted Sanjeev Kumar, a Chandigarh resident, for causing the death of a 14-year-old girl and seriously injuring her father in a road accident in December 2019, holding that the prosecution had established his identity as the driver and proved that he drove negligently.

During the trial, the prosecution examined 11 witnesses, including doctors, police personnel, the complainant and a witness who produced records showing that the Toyota Etios had been sold to the convicted man. (HT File)

Chief judicial magistrate Ravneet Singh held Kumar guilty under Sections 279, 304-A, 337 and 338 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The court, however, did not find the charge of causing mischief under Section 427 IPC proved. The supplied judgment does not record the sentence, and the court directed that the convict be taken into custody and heard on the quantum of sentence.

The case dates back to the night of December 11, 2019, when Gaganpreet Singh Ahluwalia was returning home with his daughter Kudrat in their car after visiting VR Punjab Mall. According to the prosecution, they stopped at a red light near the Phase 7/8 light point in Mohali’s Industrial Area at around 10.40 pm when a Toyota Etios coming from behind hit their car.

Both suffered injuries and were taken to Ivy Hospital in Sector 71. While Gaganpreet sustained head injuries, Kudrat’s condition deteriorated and she later died during treatment. Police added the charge of causing death by negligence after her death and registered an FIR at Phase 1 police station on December 12, 2019.

During the trial, the prosecution examined 11 witnesses, including doctors, police personnel, the complainant and a witness who produced records showing that the Toyota Etios had been sold to Kumar.

Kumar denied the allegations. In his statement to the court, he claimed that his car had hit stray cattle earlier, leaving it damaged and immobile. He alleged that police took the vehicle from the spot and falsely implicated him in the case.

The court rejected this defence, noting that Kumar had not put the stray-cattle accident theory to prosecution witnesses during their cross-examination. It also observed that the vehicle’s ownership records and other evidence linked him to the case.

The defence had questioned the identification of Kumar, arguing that the complainant had not identified him at the accident site and that police had not conducted a test identification parade. It also pointed to a discrepancy between the accident location mentioned in hospital records and the location described by the complainant.

The court held that the absence of a test identification parade was not, by itself, sufficient to acquit Kumar, and that the other evidence established his identity. It also ruled that the discrepancy in the hospital record did not undermine the prosecution’s case.

Medical records and the postmortem report established the injuries suffered by Gaganpreet and Kudrat’s death. Mechanical inspection reports also showed front-end damage to the accused’s car and damage to the rear of the complainant’s vehicle, supporting the prosecution’s account of a rear-end collision.

Kudrat Welfare Trust

In memory of Kudrat, her father established the Kudrat Welfare Trust, which facilitates blood and platelet donations and supports patients with genuine medical needs. The trust also seeks to expand its work into children’s education, child and family welfare, and road-safety awareness.