Mercedes hit-and-run: Victim’s family hails rejection of accused minor’s bail plea

New Delhi : The family of marketing consultant Siddharth Sharma, who was killed by a speeding Mercedes car in North Delhi’s posh Civil Lines area, on Tuesday welcomed the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB)’s decision to reject the bail plea of the accused minor, saying the incident should be a lesson to all parents who give cars to their underage children.The JJB had earlier rejected the bail plea, stating that the accused juvenile is a ‘repeat offender’, who has been penalised before for breaking traffic rules.
“Happy that accused’s bail is rejected. The court also acknowledged that he is a repeat offender. This case should be a lesson for all parents,” Siddharth Sharma’s sister Shilpa Mittal told ANI.The board had also reprimanded the parents for giving the juvenile the car, saying that their ‘bad parenting’ had endangered lives of the people.
The Class 12 student surrendered to the police on Sunday after which he was sent to a juvenile justice home. The teen, who turned 18 years old four days after the accident, was said to be going at speed of 80 km an hour when he hit marketing consultant Siddharth Sharma near Ludlow Castle School in North Delhi’s posh Civil Lines area.The Delhi Police had last week slapped graver charges – culpable homicide – on the juvenile driver after learning that he was a repeated offender and had also arrested his father for abetting the crime.The boy’s father, who has been charged with abetment to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, was later granted bail and released on a personal bail bond of Rs. one lakh.