Delhi BMW Crash Case Accused Gaganpreet Kaur Granted Bail

The family of the victim questioned why the victim was taken to a distant hospital and why Kaur was admitted to an ICU with minor injuries. The defense argued it was a simple accident not warranting severe charges against the accused driver.

New Delhi: Gaganpreet Kaur, the woman driving the BMW involved in the fatal Dhaula Kuan crash that killed senior Finance Ministry official Navjot Singh and injured his wife, has been granted bail. Gaganpreet Kaur had been in judicial custody, which was earlier extended until September 27. The court had also scheduled hearings for her plea to preserve CCTV footage from the accident site and arguments on her bail request. 

Senior advocate Ramesh Gupta, representing the accused, had told the court that the incident should be treated as a simple accident. He argued that there was no need to apply severe charges related to culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The lawyer called the accident "unfortunate" but said 5,000 accidents happen every year without severe legal consequences. The prosecution strongly opposed the bail plea. They claimed there was evidence tampering. They raised questions about why the injured victim was taken around 19 kilometers away from the accident site to a hospital in North Delhi. They argued that this distance raised suspicion about the accused’s intentions. The prosecution also pointed out that the accused was admitted to the ICU despite not having serious injuries, while the victim received minimal treatment. They argued this raised doubts about the driver’s behaviour after the accident.

Advocate Atul Kumar, representing the complainant, stated that the court noted that action might also be required against the person referred to as the ambulance driver, although the police clarified that the vehicle involved was actually used to transport dead bodies. He added that this matter would be part of the ongoing investigation. Kumar further said, "We will review the order, consult with the family, and then decide on the next steps. The court has also laid down seven conditions."

Victim’s family Opposes Bail

The family of the victims, through their advocate, strongly opposed the bail plea. They said that Gaganpreet Kaur took the injured person to a hospital known to her family, rather than the nearest one, which raised serious questions. The family’s counsel stated that the victim was carried on a stretcher, and the accused was admitted to ICU even though her injuries were not serious. He also asked why the accused did not call for an ambulance or inform the police at the time of the accident. Gaganpreet Kaur’s husband, Parikshit Kakkar, when questioned by the Delhi Police, said that he did not understand how the accident happened. Parikshit said that his wife told him she was taking the injured to the hospital. He added that he informed his father-in-law about this and then left in a taxi to the hospital himself.