Bandra Court Remands Nutritionist to Police Custody in Fatal Hit-and-Run Case
The Bandra metropolitan magistrate court on Monday remanded nutritionist Megha Rawal to one day in police custody after she was arrested for allegedly running over and killing an eight-year-old boy on St John Baptist Road in Bandra West.
The court accepted the police's plea to book Rawal under section 105 (culpable homicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita instead of section 106 (causing death by negligence), which had originally been invoked in the first information report. Police informed the court that Rawal was allegedly speaking on her mobile phone while driving, leading to the fatal incident.
The collision occurred around 2:30 pm on Sunday on St John Baptist Road, which connects to Mount Mary Church. Rawal, a resident of Bandra and founder-director of confectionery brand Mezmo Candy, was driving an Innova Crysta when the vehicle knocked down Ansh Gupta, a resident of the nearby Kadeshwar area who was crossing the road.
According to preliminary investigations, eyewitnesses, and family members, Rawal was engrossed in a phone conversation and dragged the boy for around 10 meters before bystanders alerted her. Ansh was taken to Holy Family hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead. Police stated that Rawal was not inebriated at the time, though blood samples have been sent for testing.
In court, police sought custody to obtain call detail records (CDR), retrieve CCTV footage, record witness statements, verify Rawal's driving licence and vehicle registration, and conduct a technical inspection via the Regional Transport Office. Investigators plan to match CCTV footage with CDR and location data to determine if an active call was in progress at the time of the crash.
Defense lawyer Amar Paragonkar opposed the remand application, stating that the incident was a tragic accident without premeditation or intent. Paragonkar submitted that Rawal rushed the child to the hospital herself and stayed with him while her husband arrived to assist.
Ansh's body was handed over to his family on Monday following a post-mortem examination. His parents, who had their only child 15 years after marriage, called for strict justice as they prepared for his funeral.
