Father of 17-year-old driver booked over fatal Dwarka crash

The accident occurred around 11:50am on February 3 near the Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management in Sector 11.

Days after a 17-year-old allegedly driving a speeding Mahindra Scorpio killed a 23-year-old biker and injured another person in Dwarka, the Delhi Police have booked and bound down his father, holding him liable under the Motor Vehicles Act.

Representational image.

Details of the case.

The accident occurred around 11:50am on February 3 near the Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management in Sector 11. According to police, the Scorpio hit an R15 Yamaha bike, killing its rider, Sahil Dhaneshra, on the spot. It then hit a parked Swift Dzire, injuring cab driver Ajit Singh. The driver was apprehended from the spot and a case was registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 281 (rash driving), 106 (1) (negligence leading to death), and 125 (a) (act endangering life).

On Tuesday, deputy commissioner of police (Dwarka) Ankit Singh said the minor driver’s father had been booked under section 199A (guardians or vehicle owners liable when a juvenile (minor) commits a traffic offence) under the MV Act, 1988. “Initially, the boy had lied about his age. Now, based on the findings, the father of the boy will be chargesheeted under the MV Act,” said the DCP.

The father was also questioned by the Delhi Police. Speaking to media after questioning, the father, who owns a transport business in Delhi, claimed he was out of town at the time of the incident.

“My wife told me about the accident. I didn’t know my son was driving,” he said, adding that his son was going drop his daughter somewhere. “I am regretful this happened. I can imagine what pain the [victim’s] family must be going through.”

Police said he has been bound down.

After the accident, the driver had told police that he was 19-years-old. However, it was revealed over the course of its investigation, police said, that the boy was a minor and a student of Class 10th.

“We have documents which prove he is 17-years-old,” said the DCP on Tuesday.

The police first confirmed this information on Monday after the victim’s mother Inna Makan, in a video posted to X, alleged that the driver did not have a licence, “didn’t know how to drive”, and was “making a reel”.

However, police said it was the minor’s sister, sitting in the passenger seat, who was making the reel.

On February 4, the minor driver was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) and sent to observation home. On February 10, the minor was granted interim bail on the grounds of Class 10th board examinations.

A video of the incident accessed by HT showed the Scorpio speeding in the narrow lane. It then hit a bike coming from the opposite side as it was trying to overtake a bus. The Scorpio then hit Singh’s parked vehicle.

A post mortem report, released on Tuesday, said the victim died of severe bleeding and major damage to vital organs. He had fractures in the skull, heavy bleeding in his brain, a broken arm, and several broken ribs.

The victim’s mother on Tuesday saidthat her son had been killed by a “reckless teen” just 10 minutes from his office. Dhaneshra, who was working part-time at an insurance firm, was supposed to leave for UK later this year for further studies.

“My son was lying on the road for 10 minutes. Help came late. I want action against the boy. He should not have been driving in the first place,” she said.