"Blood money not recognised in our legal system," says Delhi HC refusing to quash FIR in 5 year child's death in road accident
(You can now subscribe to our
(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel
The Delhi High Court has refused to quash an FIR in a case of the death of a 5-year-old child who got crushed under a car, in lieu of a compensation of Rs. One lakh to his legal representatives. The High Court said it would be tantamount to sanctifying the blood money , which is not recognised in our legal system.Noting that the accused arrived at a settlement with the legal representatives of the deceased, Justice Girish Kathpalia rejected the petition seeking quashing of FIR against the accused, saying the deceased child cannot be compensated in any manner and legal representatives have no rights to barter his death.The case pertains to the death of a child in a road accident who was crushed under a car. The driver was allegedly driving in a drunken state.An FIR was lodged in 2023 in Pahar Ganj police against the petitioner, Vipin Gupta, for rash and negligent driving, causing a collision with an e-rickshaw, resulting in the injury and death of a 5-year-old child.Refusing to quash the FIR, Justice Kathpalia said, "In my considered view, quashing the FIR after approving such a settlement would be tantamount to sanctifying blood money, which is notrecognised by our legal system. No civilised society would approve of blood money."" It is the deceased child who suffered injuries and pain, followed by loss of life. That deceased child cannot be compensated in any manner," Justice Kathpalia said in the oral judgement of July 30.Justice Kathpalia held, "The legal representatives left behind by the deceased child have no moral or legal authority to barter away his life for money to be paid to them."The High Court was told that the parties have arrived at a settlement in lieu of compensation for the child's death.The court noted that according to the settlement arrived at between the petitioner and legalrepresentatives of the deceased child, a sum of Rs. 1,00,000 has been agreed upon by the parties as compensation to be paid by the petitioner to the legal representatives.Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) Manjeet Arya appeared for the State and opposed the plea.The case of prosecution is that the petitioner, while driving his car in a rash and negligent manner, hit the e-rickshaw, due to which the e-rickshaw overturned and a five-year-old child got crushed under the same; and on being taken to the RML Hospital, the child was declared dead.During the hearing, the counsel for the petitioner tried to shift the blame and submitted that it was the e-rickshaw driver, who was drunk and caused the accident.It was also submitted that there were six passengers in the e-rickshaw, though the permissible passenger load is only four. The petitioner was not driving his car in a rash and negligent manner.This submission was opposed by the investigation officer, who was present in the court, by submitting that there is no such material on record. It was specifically submitted by the Investigating Officer that the driver of the e-rickshaw was not found under the influence of liquor."Rather, from the investigation file, it appears that after the accident, the petitioner was apprehended on the spot along with the offending car and was handed over to the police.The court said that as far as the contention that the petitioner was not driving the car in a rash and negligent manner, I have examined the material on the investigation file, including the photographs."However, this would be a matter of trial, so it would not be appropriate for me to record my observations and opinion on this aspect," Justice Kathpalia said in the judgement.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
2 minutes ago
- Indian Express
ED arrests Sandeepa Virk, beauty influencer with 1.2 mn Insta followers, in money-laundering case
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested social media influencer Sandeepa Virk — the beauty brand HybooCare founder with around 1.2 million Instagram followers — in connection with an alleged money laundering case. The ED says Virk was taken into custody on August 12 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, and a court has remanded her to the agency's custody until August 14. On August 12 and 13, multiple ED teams conducted coordinated raids in Delhi and Mumbai. The agency said: 'These operations are part of an ongoing investigation into Virk and her associates, who are alleged to have exerted undue influence through misrepresentation and defrauded individuals by soliciting money under false pretences.' During the searches, the ED says it seized incriminating documents and recorded statements from key persons associated with Virk. The probe follows an FIR filed by the Punjab Police. ED alleges that Virk acquired immovable property through deceptive promises. She purported to be behind * a portal claiming to sell FDA-approved beauty products—which, according to the ED, were 'non-existent.' 'The website lacks user registration, has persistent payment gateway issues, low social media engagement, an inactive WhatsApp contact, and no transparent organisational details—signs that it was primarily a front for laundering funds,' said an ED spokesperson. The agency further claimed that Virk maintained regular contact with Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman, former director at the now-defunct Reliance Capital. The ED says searches at his residence corroborated links to 'illegal liaison work' and exposed diversion of funds for personal benefit: Rs 18 crore disbursed in breach of lending norms and a Rs 22 crore home loan issued without due process. 'Large parts of these loans were siphoned off and remain unpaid,' alleged the ED. Sethuraman has denied the allegations, stating the home loan was granted following due process with adequate collateral and that he has 'no connection or involvement' with Virk or her activities
NDTV
19 minutes ago
- NDTV
In Daring 4-Minute Heist, Thieves Steal Valuables Worth Lakhs From Retired Justice's Home In Indore
In a brazen theft, three unidentified thieves looted jewellery and cash of over Rs 5 lakh from the residence of retired Justice Ramesh Garg in Indore's Vijay Nagar. The meticulously executed heist, which lasted four minutes and ten seconds, targeted the bungalow around 3:30 AM, with the masked thieves breaking the main gate's lock and forcing open an almirah to make off with the valuables. A video of the shocking theft has surfaced on social media, showing one thief standing guard with a rod in hand, while the other stole cash and jewellery from the almirah. Watch the video here: 3 criminals rohbed a retired Justice Ramesh Garg's residence in Indore in just 4 minutes and 10 seconds and got away with Rs 5 lakh and gold-silver jewellery. They would have killed Justice Garg's son (in the video) if he had woken up. Fortunately, he kept sleeping despite the… — Incognito (@Incognito_qfs) August 13, 2025 The incident, captured on CCTV, occurred on Sunday morning while the family was asleep. Notably, the home's alarm system failed to alert Justice Garg's son, Ritvik, allowing the thieves to escape undetected. According to reports, the thieves had cut through an iron window grill to gain entry, all while a security guard was present outside. Meanwhile, Ritvik's wife and children slept undisturbed in another room, oblivious to the theft unfolding nearby. The incident has sent shockwaves through Indore's affluent Vijay Nagar neighbourhood, raising concerns about security in an area known for its prominent residents. The targeting of a retired justice's home has added urgency to the police's efforts, with pressure mounting to apprehend the culprits. Vijay Nagar police have registered a case and launched an investigation. Authorities are currently reviewing CCTV footage from the vicinity to identify the culprits.
NDTV
19 minutes ago
- NDTV
Saved 252 People: DMK Leader Appears To Defend Kidney Transplant Racket
Chennai: A controversial video has emerged of DMK MLA P Kathiravan, whose family-run hospital recently lost its kidney transplant licence over an alleged illegal organ trade racket. In the video, which NDTV could not independently verify, the legislator purportedly presents himself as a life-saver rather than a wrongdoer. "I've saved the lives of 252 people. None talks about this," Mr Kathiravan is heard saying while addressing people at his constituency. Detailing the procedures, he claims that each kidney transplant involved four specialist doctors - three surgeons, one urologist and an anaesthetist - along with 15 to 20 supporting staff, and that three separate permissions were required before surgery. "We charge Rs 10 to Rs 12 lakh per surgery. After paying for medicines and doctors, I get only Rs 2-3 lakh. Total surgeries done - 252. This is not worth a rupee. Since we have a medical college, we do this only as a service. There are a thousand ways to earn. Why kidney? How many can we take away?" he apparently says in the clip. Mr Kathiravan even refered to his father's luxury car. "My father's Rolls Royce is worth Rs 14.5 crore. I would have to take away all the kidneys here to buy that," he said, insisting that the hospital is now run by his daughter and son-in-law. Modus Operandi Earlier this month, the Tamil Nadu government suspended the kidney transplant licences of Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College Hospital in Perambalur - run by Kathiravan's family - and Cethar Hospitals in Trichy. A state health department probe found that the "family donor" provision under the Transplantation of Human Organs Act was allegedly misused, with poor weavers from Namakkal district being lured by brokers with large sums of money to sell their kidneys. These donors would then pose as relatives of recipients to pass legal scrutiny. One such alleged middleman, identified as Anandan, remains on the run, no arrest has been made yet. "Boasting Without Shame" Says BJP Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai slammed the MLA's comments, accusing him of "boasting without shame" and "admitting to a business worth crores". "Kathiravan says he made ₹2 to ₹3 lakh per surgery, which amounts to at least ₹7.5 crore from this trade. He even compares kidney profits to his father's ₹14.5 crore Rolls Royce. This isn't a joke - poor weavers were exploited, and the DMK government has taken no serious action. The middleman is still at large," Annamalai said. The video has come as an embarassment to the ruling DMK and the party has so far refrained from commenting on the controversy. Kathiravan was not reachable for a response.
