Bandra Fatal Crash: Court Reserves Bail Order for Nutritionist Megha Rawal

A sessions court on Thursday reserved its order on the bail plea of nutritionist Megha Rawal, who was arrested following a road accident in Bandra that resulted in the death of an eight-year-old boy named Ansh. The court is scheduled to pronounce the order on Saturday.

The incident occurred on the afternoon of August 30 when Rawal was returning home from a farmer's market. According to eyewitnesses and the child's family, Rawal was speaking on her mobile phone while driving her Innova Crysta when the vehicle knocked down the boy as he was crossing the road.

During the hearing, Rawal's lawyer, Niranjan Mundargi, argued that the incident was an unfortunate accident and maintained that no purpose would be served by keeping her incarcerated. Mundargi contended that Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, is not applicable in the case because the collision was merely an accident. To address concerns regarding the witnesses, the defence suggested that the court could impose a condition barring Rawal from entering the vicinity of Bandra.

The prosecution strongly opposed the bail application, stating that eyewitness accounts confirmed Rawal was speaking on her phone while driving. Prosecutors argued that using a mobile phone behind the wheel demonstrated she had knowledge that her actions could prove dangerous to others.

The lawyer representing the victim's father also opposed bail, alleging that Rawal's family had actively tried to influence and threaten an eyewitness to prevent them from telling the police what happened. Pointing to video footage to support the claims, the lawyer noted that the victim's family consists of poor hawkers while the accused's family is affluent and capable of exerting influence. The lawyer requested the court to direct the police to provide protection for the witnesses.