UPSC Aspirants' Death: Delhi Court Grants Bail to Passerby Car Driver
Prashant Jha (Bar  and  Bench) 01 August 2024
A Delhi court on Thursday granted bail to Manuj Kathuria, a man arrested by Delhi Police for driving his sports utility vehicle (SUV) through the flooded roads in Rajendra Nagar which allegedly led to flood water inundating an IAS coaching centre basement resulting in the death of three civil services aspirants.
 
Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Rajesh Kumar Goel passed the order. 
 
On Wednesday, Judicial Magistrate Vinod Kumar had rejected the bail petitions filed by Kathuria and four co-owners of the basement Tejinder Singh, Parvinder Singh, Harvinder Singh and Sarabjeet Singh. 
 
Kathuria has been accused of driving his Force Gurkha car through the street that was flooded by rainwater. This caused the water to swell and breach the gates of the three-storeyed building and inundate the basement.
 
Kathuria's lawyer argued that he is not even connected to the incident and cannot be blamed for the deaths.
 
The Delhi High Court had also questioned Delhi Police on Wednesday for Kathuria in the case. It had termed the investigation "strange".
 
"What is police doing catching passersby driver? Have you questioned the person who has not done the desilting?" Acting Chief Justice Manmohan had asked when hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) petition in relation to the flooding.
 
The High Court has sought report from the Delhi Police and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in the matter and said it will hear the case on August 2.
 
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