Weeks after the Pune Porsche hit-and-run case, another high-profile case has grabbed headlines. It involves the daughter of a Rajya Sabha MP. The woman allegedly ran the BMW she was driving over a man sleeping on a foothpath in Chennai. He reportedly died of his injuries and the woman got bail.
Here’s what we know about the case.
What happened in Chennai?
Madhuri, the daughter of YSR Congress Party Rajya Sabha MP Beeda Masthan Rao, was driving the BMW on Monday night. She was accompanied by a friend, another woman, according to a report by NDTV.
The MP’s daughter who was behind the wheel ran the car over a man sleeping on a pavement in an inebriated state. He has been identified as Surya, a 24-year-old painter.
Madhuri reportedly fled from the accident spot immediately. Her friend, however, got out of the vehicle and was arguing with those rushed to the scene after the mishap, reports NDTV.
Surya was rushed to a hospital by passers-by but he succumbed to his injuries.
What happened after the accident?
The police checked the CCTV footage and found that the BMW belonged to the BMR (Beeda Masthan Rao) Group and was registered in Puducherry.
Madhuri was arrested but was granted bail soon after. The Adyar Traffic Investigation Wing police registered a case under section 304 A of the IPC (causing death by negligence), a bailable offence, and issued summons to the car owner, reports PTI.
“He [Surya] was sleeping on a pavement in Besant Nagar on Monday night, and a luxury car with a woman behind the wheel ran over him, killing him,” a senior police official said.
Surya got married eight months ago and his relatives gathered at the police station demanding strict action.
What do we know about Madhuri’s family?
Madhuri belongs to an affluent family. Her father BM Roa was elected as a Rajya Sabha MP in 2022. He served as an MLA before.
Roa quit the Telugu Desam Party and joined the YSR Congress in December 2019. He is a backward-class leader belonging to the Yadava community, reports The Week.
The politician is also the chairman of the e chairman of the BMR Group, a shrimp farming and export firm, which has plants in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
What is the punishment for hit-and-run in India?
Accused in hit-and-run cases are tried under Section 304A of the Indian Penal Code and face penalties of up to two years in jail upon identification. However, the IPC will be replaced by Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), the new official criminal code which will come into effect from 1 July.
Under the BNS, there is a stricter punishment for
hit-and-run cases
, with the accused facing imprisonment for up to 10 years with a fine.
The BNS has two distinct categories under the umbrella of “causing death by negligence”. The first category addresses causing death through any rash or negligent act that does not amount to culpable homicide. Offenders in this category may face imprisonment for up to five years and a fine, reports The Economic Times.
The second category deals with causing death through rash and negligent driving, not amounting to culpable homicide. If the individual flees without reporting the incident to a police officer or magistrate, they could face up to 10 years of imprisonment and a fine.
How common are hit-and-run cases in India?
The Pune Porsche accident has put the spotlight back on hit-and-run cases. On 19 May, the luxury car was allegedly driven by a 17-and-a-half-year-old boy in a drunk state. He hit a motorcycle
killing two techies
in their 20s at Kalyani Nagar junction around 2:30 am.
The boy, who was at first let go after
writing an essay
, has been sent to a remand home and his custody has been extended to 25 June. The boy’s parents are in police custody in connection with a case related to alleged swapping of his blood samples at the state-run Sassoon General Hospital.
According to data released by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, India reported over 460,000 road accidents in 2022, up 12 per cent from the previous year. Of these, hit-and-run accidents accounted for over 67,000. Every seventh road accident in the country is a hit-and-run.
Tamil Nadu reported the highest number of road accidents in 2022 at 64,105 followed by Madhya Pradesh and Kerala.
“Hit from back” led to the largest number of deaths from accidents in 2022, at 19.5 per cent, followed by “hit and run” and “head-on collision”, which accounted for 18.1 per cent and 15.7 per cent, respectively, according to a report in Scroll.
India reports the highest number of road accident deaths globally, according to the transport ministry based on data from the International Road Federation.
With inputs from agencies
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