Marine Drive BMW Crash: Sessions Court Grants Bail to Driver on Rs 22 Lakh Payout
A sessions court in Mumbai granted bail on Thursday to 21-year-old Nihal Solanki, who was arrested for ramming his BMW car into police barricades at Marine Drive and injuring two police personnel, after he agreed to pay Rs 22 lakh in compensation to the injured officer.
The incident occurred during the early hours of May 24 at around 5:30 am. Assistant Sub-Inspector Krishnakant Mishra, 56, attached to the Marine Drive Police Station, was deployed on night duty for nakabandi along with other police personnel. According to the prosecution, a speeding BMW driven by Solanki crashed into the laser barricade and struck the officers standing near the checkpoint.
Mishra and another constable sustained injuries in the crash. Mishra suffered multiple fractures, leading police to book Solanki on charges of attempt to murder. The prosecution and counsel for the complainant stated that Mishra spent significant time in the hospital and continues to suffer long-term effects from his injuries, with doctors advising him to undergo knee-replacement surgery.
Solanki's defence advocates, Vaibhav Bagade and Aman Kothari, argued before the court that the investigation into the case was complete and a charge-sheet had already been submitted, making further custodial interrogation unnecessary.
The court noted during the proceedings that the BMW involved in the collision was not insured, raising concerns that the injured officer would face difficulty securing compensation. Bagade subsequently suggested an arrangement to compensate the victim, and the matter was referred to a mediation centre.
During mediation, the parties agreed on consent terms under which the Solanki family will pay a sum of Rs 22 lakh to Mishra as compensation.
Taking the settlement and the stage of investigation into account, the court granted bail to Solanki. The court observed that Solanki is a young individual pursuing education and engaged in business, noting that continued detention would serve no purpose since custodial interrogation was no longer required. The court directed Solanki to adhere strictly to the consent terms and attend trial proceedings regularly.
