NEW DELHI, Sept 15: Gaganpreet Kaur whose BMW car crashed into a bike in Delhi Sunday evening claiming the life of deputy secretary in the union finance ministry Navjot Singh, was arrested from a hospital on Monday in a case of culpable homicide, destruction of evidence, and rash driving.
Visuals showed her being brought out of a hospital in GTB Nagar, where she was being treated for minor injuries, and helped into a police vehicle.
Gaganpreet is 38 years old and married to Parikshit Makkad, 40, who was with her in the car at the time of the crash near Delhi Cantonment metro station. The couple, it is learnt, live in Gurugram and run a business of luxury products. Parikshit, too, has been named in the FIR.
Navjot Singh, 52, was working as a deputy secretary in the Union Finance Ministry. He visited Bangla Sahib Gurdwara with his wife, Sandeep Kaur, yesterday. The two then had lunch at Karnataka Bhavan in RK Puram and were on their way home when the crash occurred. Sandeep has told police that the BMW was speeding and overturned after rear-ending their bike.
Navjot and Sandeep were taken to a hospital in a van, and Gaganpreet accompanied them. Sandeep has told the police that she kept asking Gaganpreet to take them to the nearest hospital, but she asked the van driver to drive to NuLife hospital in GTB Nagar, about 19 km from the accident site.
Police sources said Gaganpreet’s father co-owns the hospital and an investigation is on to find if there was an attempt to hush up the case. The hospital authorities have said all protocols were followed, but refused to confirm Gaganpreet’s link to the owners. According to sources, police suspect that Gaganpreet brought Navjot and Sandeep to NuLife hospital in an attempt to tamper with evidence, including medical reports.
The police said Gaganpreet Kaur has claimed that she had ‘no idea’ how the horrific incident occurred. She also told police she took Mr Singh and his wife to a hospital in GTB Nagar – around 20km away – because she been treated for COVID there. She said that in moment, with her husband and daughter, who were also in the car, also bleeding, it was the only hospital she could name.
Ms Kaur, who received treatment at the same hospital, has been arrested on initial charges of rash driving, culpable homicide, and destruction of evidence. The latter charge was made after it emerged Ms Kaur’s father co-owns the hospital in question, leading police to wonder if there was an attempt to cover-up the case or alter or destroy biological evidence. The police have said Ms Kaur would be produced before a judge after a medical check-up, and that the result of a toxicology report – to establish Ms Kaur’s blood alcohol level – was awaited.
“Regarding tampering of evidence charge (alleged by Mr Singh’s family), she should have informed the police and taken the victims to the nearest hospital,” Additional DCP (South West Delhi) Abhimanyu Prasad told reporters, confirming also Mr Singh’s wife is in stable condition.
“CCTV footage will be checked to verify allegations of speeding. We have interrogated her… she claimed she has no idea how the accident occurred. She said they (her husband, child, and she) were on their way to Gurugram and the accident took place after a sudden impact…” Delhi Police sources has said the BMW hit a road divider before hitting the bike.
Post-accident visuals that have since surfaced showed Ms Kaur being pulled out from under the wreckage of the BMW; the motorcycle can be seen next to the SUV, as can Mr Singh’s body.
After this Ms Kaur and her husband, Parikshit Makkad, aided by an eyewitness called Gulfam, helped Mr Singh and his wife into a second vehicle, a taxi, to take them to a hospital. But instead of directing the taxi to any nearby medical facility, they drove the couple to GTB Nagar. Navjot Singh arrived too late for medical assistance. His wife is being treated. Mr Singh’s son, Navnoor, said his father could have been saved had he been taken to a nearby hospital. “They had gone to the Bangla Sahib Gurdwara… It does not make sense that they were taken to a hospital so far away. Time is of the essence after an accident,” he said.
(Manas Dasgupta)