Mercedes hit-and-run case: Delhi Police to chargesheet boy’s father, family driver

The impounded Mercedes at Civil Lines police station. (Express Photo by Amit Mehra)

Police will chargesheet the father of the minor boy accused in the Mercedes hit-and-run case as well as a family driver sent as a ‘dummy’ to own responsibility for the accident, said sources Thursday.

The juvenile’s father is suspected of having had a role in the family driver turning up at the local police station to claim responsibility, added the sources.

Police suspect it was an attempt to mislead investigation into the death of Siddharth Sharma, a 32-year-old IT professional, who was killed after being struck by the Mercedes in north Delhi’s Civil Lines area Monday.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (north) Madhur Verma told The Indian Express Thursday the family driver and the person who sent him “will be chargesheeted into the case”. “There are many sections under IPC (Indian Penal Code) under which they could be booked. We are taking legal opinion.”

Sources said under these circumstances, they could be booked under IPC sections 193 (punishment for false evidence), 194 (fabricating false evidence with intent to procure conviction of capital offence) or 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender).

WATCH | Delhi: Man killed by speeding Mercedes in Civil Lines

On Tuesday, when police were searching for the accused in the case, the family driver came before the police to take responsibility for the accident, but he broke down during questioning, said sources.

He told the police he was pressured to take the responsibility for the crime, added the sources. The accused minor was detained thereafter, said a police officer.

Police are also looking into information that the accused minor and his family have left their house and gone to some undisclosed location, said sources.

Sidharth Sharma, was walking home from a restaurant when the incident occurred

The boy, who recently appeared for Class XII examinations, has been booked for negligent driving amounting to murder. He was released on bail Wednesday.

According to a source, the accused minor told the police he was going to play basketball with friends when the accident took place. There were four more teenagers in the Mercedes when it hit Sharma, added the source.

The minor’s father did not appear before court Thursday. The police had slapped a fine on him for giving his car to his minor son. The boy’s father has to appear in court Monday, said a police officer.

A neighbour of the family declined to talk about the accused boy or his family, but said he was shocked after seeing the video of the accident.

“The car’s speed looked so high in the video. I can feel  the pain of the family which  lost a loved one. I can only say that the law should take  its course. The police are doing their investigation,” added the neighbour.

Another neighbour said, “The family has more than one driver. But none of them has been seen here for the last few days.”