Delhi UPSC aspirants' death: Accused SUV driver walks out of jail after Court grants bail

Aug 02, 2024

New Delhi [India], August 3 : Manuj Kathuria, the SUV driver arrested in connection to the death of three UPSC aspirants at the basement of a coaching centre in Delhi's Rajinder Nagar was released from the Tihar jail on Friday after Delhi's Tis Hazari court granted him bail.
It was alleged that he drove his vehicle in a rash and negligent manner that caused water to enter the basement.
Earlier on Thursday, Additional Sessions Judge Rakesh Kumar said that he was "implicated due to over-enthusiasm."
Additional Sessions Judge at Tis Hazari Court, Rakesh Kumar, while pronouncing the bail order of Kathuria also predominately noted the reply filed by the Delhi police in the matter.
The Additional Sessions Judge granted bail to Manuj Kathuria after furnishing a bail bond of Rs 50,000 and a surety in the same amount.
Delhi police alleged that the driver was driving the car at high speed. The wave was so high that three iron gates crashed.
The accused, in his plea, stated that he was not associated with the offence and was falsely implicated. Any alleged involvement was speculative.
During the arguments on bail, it was argued by the counsel of Manuj Kathuria that there was no overspeeding by the driver.
"I have not been booked for negligent and rash driving. Despite, the fact that the accused was driving at High speed. Then how can I be booked under an offence under 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) BNSS," Advocate Malhotra argued.
Notably, the accused, Manuj Kathuria, is a businessman and was driving his sports utility vehicle (SUV) through a rain-flooded street in central Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar, allegedly causing water to surge and breach the gates of the three-storey Rau's IAS Study Circle building, flooding its basement and causing the deaths of three UPSC aspirants.
So far, Delhi police have arrested seven people, including the driver of an SUV, in connection with the incident.