Vidyavihar Hit-And-Run Case: Minor Accused Absconding After Bail Cancellation, Mumbai Police Launch Search

Mumbai: The 17-year-old minor accused in the fatal Vidyavihar accident case has gone absconding days after a Mumbai sessions court cancelled his bail, leading the police to launch a search operation. Officials said a notice has been pasted outside the family's residence, directing them to produce the juvenile before the authorities.

Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Tilak Nagar Senior Police Inspector Santosh Dhembre said the police are actively searching for the Child in Conflict with Law (CCL). "We have pasted a notice outside the family's residence and summoned them to appear before the court. We are currently searching for the CCL," he said.

The victim's wife, Menal Patel, expressed disappointment over the delay in complying with the court's order. "Our faith in the judiciary remains unshaken, and we believe the truth will ultimately prevail. We also place our faith in God and trust that justice will be served. It is unfortunate that even four days after the court's order, the CCL has not been produced before the authorities. We urge that the judicial process be respected and the court's directions be complied with at the earliest," she said.

The sessions court recently cancelled the juvenile's bail, observing that the incident had 'shaken the conscience of society.' In its detailed order, the court noted the increasing number of fatal road accidents involving affluent minors in Maharashtra and said releasing the juvenile soon after the incident would undermine public confidence in the justice system.

The court also observed that the juvenile was allegedly in the company of 'spoiled children' and involved in performing dangerous stunts on two-wheelers and four-wheelers. It held that keeping him in an observation home would be beneficial both for his reformation and in the larger interest of society.

The case stems from the February 5 accident in Tansa Pipeline Road area of Vidyavihar, when a speeding SUV allegedly driven by the minor rammed into a scooter carrying Dhrumil Patel and his wife, Menal. Dhrumil succumbed to his injuries nine days later, while Minal sustained critical injuries. The case was registered at Tilak Nagar Police Station.

The Juvenile Justice Board had granted the minor bail on March 7. Minal Patel later challenged the order through advocate Ruben Mascarenhas, seeking cancellation of the bail and requesting that the juvenile be kept in an observation home until the investigation is completed. The sessions court accepted the plea and revoked the bail, following which police began efforts to trace the juvenile.

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