New Delhi: The Delhi Police have taken into custody the BMW driver, identified as Gaganpreet, who fatally hit the motorcycle of a senior Finance Ministry official, leaving him dead and his wife critically injured, officials confirmed on Monday.
The victim, Navjot Singh, a Deputy Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs under the Ministry of Finance, lost his life in the incident. His wife, Sandeep Kaur, who was riding pillion, sustained severe injuries.
Police said the accident took place on Sunday near the Delhi Cantt metro station, as the couple was returning home from Bangla Sahib Gurudwara. A case has been registered under the relevant sections of law.
Investigators stated that the BMW was being driven by Gaganpreet, with her husband Parikshit seated in the passenger seat.
Instead of taking the injured couple to the nearest hospital, the accused reportedly drove them almost 17 to 19 kilometres away to Nulife Multi-Speciality Hospital in GTB Nagar, which officials said is linked to an acquaintance of the accused.
This decision has raised serious questions, as several hospitals were available much closer to the accident site.
Nulife Hospital Director Shakuntala Kumar confirmed that Singh and his wife were brought to the facility on September 14 after a road accident involving a BMW and a motorcycle.
“We immediately provided first aid and informed the police. A man, approximately 50-55 years old, was brought in dead, and his wife had multiple injuries. She requested to continue her treatment at another hospital, so after providing first aid and informing the police, we allowed her to be transferred,” Kumar said.
She further revealed that both the BMW driver and her husband were also treated at the Emergency Department of the hospital.
“The lady who was driving the car has been discharged, while the man who was sitting in the passenger seat has been referred to a higher centre for further treatment,” Kumar added.
Soon after Gaganpreet was discharged, she was taken into custody by the police.
Officials also stated that Gulfam, a cab driver who transported the injured to the hospital after the accident, will be summoned soon.
Investigators intend to question him about why the victims were shifted from Dhaula Kuan to Mukherjee Nagar, and about the entire route and circumstances surrounding the incident.
The couple’s son has raised questions about the decision to shift his parents to such a distant hospital.
“My parents were returning from Bangla Sahib when they met with an accident. And for some reason, they were brought 17 km away to a hospital in GTB Nagar. My father is dead and my mother is seriously injured,” he said.
He also alleged that the BMW driver, a woman identified as Gaganpreet, who brought his parents to the hospital, appeared to have been injured herself, but the hospital has provided no clarity about her condition or whereabouts.
He further alleged that the hospital was being evasive and might be assisting in the preparation of a false medico-legal certificate for her.
When officials reached the accident site, they found the BMW lying sideways on the road and the motorcycle parked near the divider.
Investigations are ongoing, and police said further details are awaited.
(IANS)
