Bandra Fatal SUV Crash: Accused Megha Rawal Seeks Bail, Denies Using Phone

A gym instructor and entrepreneur arrested in connection with the death of an eight-year-old boy in Bandra has approached a sessions court for bail, claiming the child stepped unexpectedly in front of her SUV and denying that she was using a mobile phone at the time of the incident.

The accused, Megha Rawal, was arrested after eight-year-old Ansh Gupta was run over near a garden in Bandra on Sunday. In her bail application submitted before the court on Wednesday, Rawal stated that she saw the boy crossing the road, stopped her vehicle, and waited until she believed he had completely crossed before moving forward slowly.

According to the plea, Rawal sensed something was wrong when she noticed bystanders looking towards her SUV immediately afterwards. She stopped the vehicle again and drove the injured child to a hospital. Describing the collision as an "unfortunate and unintended road accident," the application stated that the event occurred within moments, leaving her no opportunity to anticipate the boy's movement or avoid the impact.

The application argued that Rawal had no intention of causing injury and that the incident was not the result of rash, reckless, or deliberate driving. It added that even if negligence were established by the prosecution, it would not satisfy the requirements of intention or knowledge under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Addressing allegations in the FIR that she was distracted by her mobile phone while driving, Rawal called the claim wholly false. She submitted records of her husband's phone calls to show that no calls were made or received for a considerable period before the accident. She stated that she used her phone only after the collision while attempting to contact her husband on the way to the hospital, adding that she has surrendered the device to police.

Public prosecutor Pankaj Chavan submitted a reply on behalf of the police opposing bail. The police noted that the road is wide enough for two vehicles to pass and highlighted that children frequently visit the adjacent garden to play and cross the street. Opposing her release, police said key aspects of the investigation remain pending, including CCTV analysis, a Regional Transport Office inspection of the vehicle, document verification, and the recording of additional witness statements.

The victim's father, Ravindra Gupta, has filed an intervention application through advocate Akash Vikram Singh to oppose the bail plea. In his statement to the police, Gupta alleged that Rawal was speeding while talking on the phone despite knowing such conduct could cause a fatal accident. The sessions court is scheduled to hear the matter on Thursday.