‘It could be murder’: Bombay High Court asks police to probe accidental death

A woman had moved the high court after the death of her son, who was found dead in a car.

The Bombay high court on Friday transferred an accidental death case to the local crime branch of Ratnagiri police after noticing that it could be a murder.

The Bombay high court judge noted some aspects in the case which created doubts about the accident.(HT Photo)

“Prima facie, there seems to be some substance in the allegations made by the petitioner,” said justice Revati Mohite-Dere on the suspicion raised by Sheela Narkar, mother of the deceased, Sachin Narkar.

On March 6, Sagari police station in Ratnagiri district registered an accidental death after Narkar was found dead in a car which he was driving. The local police claimed that Narkar’s car turned turtle and he died in the accident.

His mother, however, approached the high court alleging that her son was murdered and his body was placed in the car to make it look like an accident.

She pointed out that though Narkar was purportedly driving the car, his body was found upside down on the back seat, behind the driver’s seat. Besides, her lawyer also pointed out that the post-mortem report revealed that the deceased had multiple incised wounds, which could not have possible in the accident.

Apart from these aspects, justice Mohite-Dere noted some other aspects which created doubts about the accident. “Prima facie, it appears that if the car had turtled in the manner as alleged, the car would have several dents and huge damage to the car,” said the judge. “The photos of the car show none.”

Besides, the judge said, the injuries sustained by the deceased were only on the head and neck and there was no fracture of ribs as normally found in motor accident cases.

Against this backdrop, the judge thought it appropriate to transfer the investigation to the local crime branch.