Mercedes hit-and-run: Driver slapped with five challans in 8 months | Latest News Delhi - Hindustan Times
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Mercedes hit-and-run: Driver slapped with five challans in 8 months

Hindustan Times | BySoumya Pillai and Prawesh Lama, New Delhi
Apr 09, 2016 10:19 AM IST

The Mercedes that mowed down a 32-year-old man at north Delhi’s Civil Lines on April 4 had been involved in another case of traffic rule violation.

The Mercedes that mowed down a 32-year-old man at north Delhi’s Civil Lines on April 4 had been involved in another case of traffic rule violation.

The Mercedes that mowed down a 32-year-old man at north Delhi’s Civil Lines on April 4 had been involved in another case of traffic rule violation.(Sonu Mehta/HT Photo)
The Mercedes that mowed down a 32-year-old man at north Delhi’s Civil Lines on April 4 had been involved in another case of traffic rule violation.(Sonu Mehta/HT Photo)

Delhi Traffic Police’s official website shows that the car with the registration number DL2FCM 3000 has a pending fine of Rs 1,000. The fine was imposed for dangerous driving at north Delhi’s Rajpur Road.

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According to Delhi Traffic Police records, the car had been slapped with challans five times in the last eight months for offences such as ignoring traffic signal, speeding, unauthorised parking and negligent driving.

Siddharth Sharma’s father mourns his death. (Sonu Mehta/HT Photo)
Siddharth Sharma’s father mourns his death. (Sonu Mehta/HT Photo)

On January 23, this year, the car had been stopped by policemen for speeding near Kamla Nehru ridge.

Last year, on December 31, the car was stopped at 9:26 pm during the special New Year’s drive for negligent driving. A fine of Rs 1,000 was slapped on the driver, which was paid a week later at the Delhi Traffic Police headquarters in west Delhi’s Todapur.

There is no record, however, showing who was driving the car on any of the five occasions.

“The problem is that unfortunately the existing Motor Vehicle Act is not a deterrent for people. They commit an offence and just throw Rs 100 at the traffic constable’s face,” said a senior traffic official.

Read | Mercedes hit-and-run case: Father of boy driving the car arrested

On Friday, friends and relatives of the deceased, Siddharth Sharma, met Delhi Police commissioner Alok Verma. They submitted a letter to the police chief demanding the case be transferred to a different officer.

Seeking justice for Sharma, they accused the present officer of negligence in collecting the CCTV footage and in nabbing the teenager for more than 24 hours.

Sharma was hit by the Mercedes, driven by a 17-year-old, when he was trying to cross the road.

Siddharth’s picture taken from his family album. (Sonu Mehta/HT Photo)
Siddharth’s picture taken from his family album. (Sonu Mehta/HT Photo)

Siddharth’s friend Krishna said: “The response of the police commissioner was encouraging. We went to meet him along with Siddharth’s sister. The commissioner has promised to change the investigating officer and has noted all our demands made in the complaint.”

In their complaint, the family demanded that the teenager’s father be booked for tampering with evidence. They also want the role of the family’s driver, who had initially claimed to have driven the Mercedes, probed. The driver later had fled from the police station on learning that Sharma had succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.

“The challan records on the police website show that the car was fined for speeding last month. Their family is yet to clear that fine. They must be habitual offenders. Police must act strongly,” said Siddharth’s friend Sidhant.

Read | Caught on CCTV: Video of Delhi man killed by Mercedes released by family

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