Delhi NCR News LIVE Updates | ‘Why didn’t she ask if there was any hospital nearby?’: Court hears accused woman’s bail plea in BMW crash case

Senior Finance Ministry official Navjot Singh was taken to a hospital in just 24 minutes after the accident on September 14, argued Gaganpreet, the woman driving the BMW which was allegedly involved in the crash.

Singh, 57, who was posted as a deputy secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs under the Finance Ministry, was killed in the accident and his wife was injured after the BMW allegedly rammed into their bike. The accident took place on the Ring Road near Delhi Cantonment Metro station.

“It took 24 minutes to reach Nulife hospital… The other hospitals were a little closer but due to traffic, it would take more time to get there,” argued Senior Advocate Pradeep Rana, who appeared for Gaganpreet.

Nulife hospital in GTB Nagar was nearly 18 km from the accident spot. Read

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) by Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh seeking the removal of graves of terrorists Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhat, who were executed in 2013 and 1984 respectively, from Tihar jail.

The organisation, through advocate Manoj Sinha, sought the removal of the graves on the ground that they are being used for “pilgrimage” where “people commit crime outside and go there to pay homage…”

The division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela questioned what statutory law or fundamental or constitutional rights are being violated through the existence of the graves. Read

In other news, more than 15 women studying under the EWS (Economic Weaker Section) quota at a Southwest Delhi institution — being run by an ashram — have accused its manager of allegedly molesting them. The complaint was filed a month ago but the accused, Chaitanyananda Saraswati, is on the run.

The Delhi Police said on Wednesday that raids are underway to catch the accused. Another case has been lodged against him for allegedly using a Volvo car with a fake UN number plate.
According to a police officer, the case came to light in August, when one of the administrators at the institution approached the police.

Read our full report.

"Why didn't she ask the driver if there was any hospital close by? The intention was not to save the injured, rather to save themselves from legal proceedings. In the medico legal certificate, no time is mentioned," says the APP

Gaganpreet's lawyer says, "The golden principle is 60 minutes, we reached the hospital in 24 minutes."

Judge to Prosecution : If you have anything related that supports your case, please bring it. Don't keep it at your office as you've done today. Tomorrow is the last opportunity to submit everything. APP has said that he would produce the footage tomorrow and it will support the version of the prosecution. IO is directed to produce the CCTV footage and all the relevant evidence tomorrow.

Bail arguments will continue tomorrow.

The APP says, "What could the intention have been? It's beneficial to take them to a hospital that's nearby...there's a golden hour principle. AIIMS, Safdarjung falls much before Nulife. Kukreja hospital, multiple hospitals were closer than Nulife."

The APP tells the Judge, "It's their relatives' hospital...documents didn't have the time of arrival, sir. The intention was to not allow the police to find out about the incident. Had he been taken to the trauma centre, possibility to save him would have been much higher. They were well aware about which hospitals were nearby."

Except for Section 105 BNS (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), all other sections are bailable in nature, the lawyer adds. "There was no intention, it's completely missing. There's no fault on my part. These are my limited arguments."

They waited and arranged everything by preparing beautiful statements...but they weren't aware that there were CCTVs there, the lawyer says.

"They're playing hide-and-seek, if they had CCTV in their favor, they would be playing it in front of the Judge. The time of the hospital entry is 2:05. When we reached, hospital ward boys were there waiting with a stretcher. At 2:16, he was declared dead. AIIMs is 12 km, Venkateshwara is 14 km and Nulife was 19 km away from the spot. The traffic was such that we were able to Nulife in just 24 mins. The other two would've taken longer."

Lawyer : Why did the lady go to Venkateshwara hospital spending almost 1.5 hours? Because we generally go to those hospitals where we know people or have trust. We had called hospitals, but didn't get responses. Then we went to Nulife. Did we stop anywhere for toilet or anything? Did we take any turns? Nulife is a super speciality hospital...we reached in 24 mins. The only intention was to get the person treated as soon as possible. I could've run away easily, but I remained in the hospital.

The lawyer says that they have checked the location and it took 24 minutes to reach Nulife. It would take 36 minutes for AIIMS and Venkateswara, he adds. Why would they go to a crowded area? It's only a difference of 4 km but it's a difference of 12 minutes, he says. There's a three-minute difference between AIIMS and Nulife, he adds. Judge sahib, you can google it yourself, he says.

The judge asks, did you check this right now or that day to which the lawyer replies saying that he checked on multiple days. "This is the average difference that it will take."

Arguments on bail have begun.

Gaganpreet's lawyer says, "Three lines of the complaint define how the incident took place. The Judge may ask the investigating agency to verify this via CCTV footage."

The lines are a speeding BMW hit the bike from behind.

Gaganpreet's lawyer : My claim is that the opposite happened. The bike hit the bus, this actually happened. We watched the video. This won't even make a case for section 304. They have to operate as per the law of the land, not as per their whims and fancies. If the CCTV shows otherwise, I won't even press for bail. An ambulance stopped for 1 minute but didn't take the deceased along. Everything is on the CCTV. The lady didn't know where to take the deceased. Their claim is why was he taken to Nulife.

The prosecution says, "Gulfam is a witness, so we have to see his privacy as well. Call detail record and internet history are two different things. We will reply to this.

PP Atul: Things which aren't permissible directly, can't be done indirectly. They're trying to sit on the IO's driver seat, he adds.

The bail plea of Gaganpreet, the woman driving a BMW involved in a crash that left a senior finance ministry official dead and his wife injured in Dhaula Kuan two week ago, is being heard in Patiala House Court.

Lawyers of Gaganpreet requested for the internet history of Gulfam (the driver who took the deceased to the hospital).

The Delhi government is set to establish 53 new fast track special courts (FTSCs), which will hear cases related to crimes related to women and children, across the Capital in addition to the already existing 16 FTSCs, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said.

“We want to ensure that victims are not forced to wait for years to receive justice. This move will not only guarantee timely justice but will also strengthen Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of women’s empowerment and a safe India,” the CM said in a statement.

More than 17,000 cases related to crimes against women and children are currently pending before the courts, the CM said. These courts will primarily hear cases under the POCSO Act, 2012, and rape cases (Section 376 of IPC/Section 64 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita), it has been learnt.

Delhi will witness mainly clear skies on Wednesday, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to be around 36 and 24 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Inspired by the character Maya Dolas from the film Shootout at Lokhandwala, 23-year-old Sagar fancied himself a gangster. He put together his own gang in Delhi, and named it ‘Maya Gang’ after his idol. According to the Delhi Police, he would also get the gang’s name tattooed on his men, as part of their initiation. On Monday night, the image he had built for himself came undone after a brief shootout with police near Sarita Vihar.

Inspired by the character Maya Dolas from the film Shootout at Lokhandwala, 23-year-old Sagar fancied himself a gangster. He put together his own gang in Delhi, and named it ‘Maya Gang’ after his idol. According to the Delhi Police, he would also get the gang’s name tattooed on his men, as part of their initiation. On Monday night, the image he had built for himself came undone after a brief shootout with police near Sarita Vihar.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday launched DTC interstate buses between Delhi and Baraut in UP and said more such buses will be launched in the coming month, news agency PTI reported.

"Our government officials are like Lord Hanuman. You set their tails afire, and they will work really hard. Since the time our government has come to power, officials are getting an ideal atmosphere of working and are coming up with ideas," she said.

Gupta asked Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh and department officials to ensure that every month, buses to a new state are launched henceforth.

"When I became the chief minister, I would always wonder why Uttarakhand buses are plying here, and buses from Uttar Pradesh are also seen. But where are the buses from Delhi that are plying in other states? "The previous government had stopped them. They did not do anything to ensure that revenue is generated," she alleged.

Highlighting the other initiatives of the government, she said they are also carrying out a route rationalisation study of bus routes.

"On some routes, there were 15 buses plying, while on some, there were none. We are carrying out route rationalisation so that every route has an optimal number of buses," she added.

The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC )'s new interstate air-conditioned bus service connects Delhi's Maharana Pratap ISBT with Uttar Pradesh's Baraut, significantly improving daily travel options for commuters and students, officials said on Friday.

The minimum fare is fixed at Rs 32, while the maximum fare is capped at Rs 125 for the entire stretch between Maharana Pratap ISBT and Baraut, as per the PTI report.

The new AC bus service will start from Maharana Pratap ISBT in Delhi and touch Khajuri Khas, Bhajan Pura, Loni Bus Station/UP Border, Loni, Mandolla, Khekra, Katha, Baghpat, Goripur, Saroorpur, and Tyodhi before reaching Baraut and vice versa. (PTI)

Pulling up a Delhi Police Sub-Inspector (SI) for misbehaving with a woman advocate, her client and another lawyer, the Delhi High Court said “he is supposed to be a protector of law and not a predator”.

The incident took place on Monday before proceedings were supposed to begin. The woman advocate informed the judge about the matter, following which an order was passed.

The order stated that cognizance is being taken of a complaint in relation to an “unsavoury incident which took place in the precinct of this Courtroom (just outside the entrance)”.

Read the full story here.

It was close to midnight on Sunday at the Lohiya Nagar outpost in Ghaziabad. A six-member all-women police team was carrying out a routine vehicle check when they spotted a scooter approaching the barricade on a stretch near the Meerut Road.

They signalled to the rider to stop, but he allegedly ignored them, turned sharply and lost control of his vehicle. As the officers rushed forward, he scrambled to his feet, pulled out a pistol and allegedly opened fire.

The women officers ducked and then retaliated by firing back. Within moments, the man fell to the ground with a bullet wound.

By the end of the night, the Ghaziabad Police had arrested the man who they said was carrying a bunch of stolen goods and an illegal weapon — the outcome of a rare operation carried out entirely by women officers.

Read more about the shootout here.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday said her government has permitted cultural events like Ramleela and Durga Puja to continue until midnight, asserting that "Ram-rajya should come in Delhi" and for that "we all should work a little." "I always used to say that our Hindu festivals were facing problems. Which Ramleela ends at 10 pm?"

All the Ramleela, Durga Puja, and other cultural programmes can take place till midnight now," she added.

A day earlier, the Delhi government extended the permissible time for the use of loudspeakers and public address systems during Ramleela, Durga Puja, Dussehra, and related events. The relaxation, which remains valid from September 22 to October 3, was approved by Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena.

In residential areas, meanwhile, organisers have been directed to ensure that sound levels do not exceed 45 decibels, news agency PTI reported.

At least four people were charred to death and one person was critically injured in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh early on Tuesday after a car collided with a canter truck and caught fire, the police said, adding that they are yet to identify the deceased.

According to officials, the accident occurred when the canter truck travelling from Aligarh towards Eta district collided with the car which was coming from the opposite direction. A few witnesses said that it appeared as though the car’s tire burst, causing its driver to lose control of the vehicle, which ended up on the other side of the road, hitting the truck.

However, the police are yet to confirm what caused the accident.

Here's the full story.

A 45-year-old professor from a reputed university in Haryana was booked for allegedly stealing a replica of the famous Mohenjodaro ‘Dancing Girl’ from the National Museum in Lutyens’ Delhi, an official said.

The incident took place on Saturday.

“Checks were conducted immediately, and visitors were scanned. On reviewing CCTV footage, one individual was seen picking up the replica. CISF officials managed to identify the person, who was a professor, on the museum premises and nabbed him,” the police said.

The CISF — which looks after security of the museum — immediately informed the local police and handed him over to them. The statue was recovered.

Read the full story here.

With the monsoon set to withdraw from Delhi in a couple of days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast dry weather for the next seven days.

The maximum temperature is expected to be between 33 and 35 degrees Celsius. On Tuesday, the minimum temperature was 23.8 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the year.

Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Parvesh Verma took part in the cleanliness drive in Delhi on Tuesday, which focused on the Ring Road (Mahatma Gandhi Marg), as per news agency PTI.

As part of the 'Sewa Pakhwada' events, the PWD has divided the 55-kilometre Ring Road into eight jurisdictional sections and appointed an engineer-in-charge for each section to oversee cleaning and repair work for the next fortnight.

"It is our resolve to keep Delhi clean, and the cleanliness drive is being carried out across the city, with scores of party workers joining the campaign," Verma told reporters.

Ministers of the BJP government in Delhi, MLAs, and senior party leaders also participated in the drive.

Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva participated in the drive near Rose Garden under the ITO flyover on Ring Road. As part of the drive, party workers and leaders cleaned areas at 71 locations, including flyovers and surrounding areas on Ring Road, said a Delhi BJP statement. (PTI)

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, participating in a cleanliness drive on Tuesday, said no defacement of property would be tolerated in the city, news agency PTI reported.

She warned political workers to refrain from pasting posters with her photos on any property.

Gupta, under the "Sewa Pakhwada" to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birth anniversary, removed posters from a flyover pillar on Ring Road and took part in the cleanliness drive in her Shalimar Bagh constituency. "Defacement of property through wall writing and pasting posters is a very big crime that makes the city dirty. I especially urge politicians that no defacement of property will be tolerated. Do not dare to paste posters with my photo," she warned, as per the PTI report.

The chief minister emphasised that cleanliness is not just a matter of a one-hour drive, but should be a daily effort, with every section of society—including RWAs, public representatives, and common citizens—participating. (PTI)

Delhi will witness mainly clear skies on Tuesday, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to be around 35 and 24 degrees Celsius, respectively.

In what can be regarded as Delhi’s ‘biggest digital arrest fraud,’ a retired banker was duped to transfer Rs 22.26 crore from different bank branches to scammers, in 21 transactions to 16 different bank accounts.

Under “digital arrest”, 78-year-old Naresh Malhotra took permission from the scammers who claimed to be officers from the Enforcement Directorate and Mumbai Police, for withdrawing small amounts to make monthly salary payments to his staff.

“It is as if I was possessed and had lost all my senses; my thinking process was completely taken over by the scammers,” Malhotra told The Indian Express.

Here's the full story.

Welcome to our live blog. Please follow here for the latest updates from across Delhi-NCR!