Will add murder charge in Sultanpuri accident case, Delhi police tell court

In the early hours of January 1, a Maruti Suzuki Baleno car hit 20-year-old Anjali Kumari when she was on her way home on her scooter. Anjali’s leg got stuck on the underside of the car, and she was dragged for nearly three hours on a stretch of over 14 kilometres.

The Delhi Police on Monday informed a city court that they are invoking murder charges against the accused involved in the January 1 Sultanpuri accident, in which a 20-year-old woman was dragged on the underside of a car for nearly three hours on a stretch of over 14 kilometres.

Anjali Kumari's mortal remains are brought to Budh Vihar in New Delhi on January 3. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

Separately, the court reserved its order on the bail plea moved by Ashutosh, one of the seven accused in the case.

Special public prosecutor (SPP) Atul Srivastava, appearing on behalf of the police, opposed the Ashutosh’s bail application, saying the investigation is at a crucial stage, and the police are in the process of invoking Indian Penal Code section 302 (punishment for murder) in the matter.

Srivastava also informed the court that the statements of a few witnesses are yet to be recorded, and granting Ashutosh bail could hamper the investigation.

Advocate Shilpesh Chaudhary, appearing for Ashutosh, submitted before the court that there are videos, call detail records and Google location data which show that Ashutosh was not present in the car when the incident occurred and that he was at his home.

Chaudhary also submitted that the offences made out against Ashutosh in the first information report (FIR) are bailable in nature, and pointed out that Ashutosh is willing to cooperate in the investigation.

Additional sessions judge Susheel Bala Dagar, after hearing the submissions, reserved the order to be pronounced on Tuesday.

In the early hours of January 1, a Maruti Suzuki Baleno car hit 20-year-old Anjali Kumari when she was on her way home on her scooter. Anjali’s leg got stuck on the underside of the car, and she was dragged for nearly three hours on a stretch of over 14 kilometres.

On January 12, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) directed the Delhi Police to book the suspects for murder, and ordered the suspension of 11 police personnel deployed in the police control room (PCR) vans for allegedly responding late to several distress calls made by witnesses to the accident.

Also on January 12, metropolitan magistrate Sanya Dalal had refused to grant bail to Ashutosh, noting that the investigation is at an initial stage.