Mumbai: After the death of a 12-year-old girl who was riding a pillion with her 16-year-old friend on a two-wheeler on May 11, Navghar police have booked the 12-year-old’s father Amar Dombe after the deceased’s father lodged a complaint against the former.
The incident occurred when Dombe’s daughter called the victim, Disha Amberkar to her place and they both went for a ride. When the duo reached near Kelkar College in Mulund East, an unexpected speed-breaker led to the accident. While Dombe’s daughter received minor injuries, Disha died on the spot.
Victim's father had approached the police
According to police, Vishal Amberkar, the victim's father then approached the police after finishing Disha's final rites on May 15. In his statement, Amberkar stated that it was irresponsible of the Dombe couple to let their minor daughter ride a scooty in the first place. Since the daughter is still a minor, by law, action will be taken against her parents/guardians.
On Wednesday it was known from the police that they are conducting a preliminary investigation into the case.
“This involves if the parents had any idea about their daughter driving the vehicle or if was it without their consent. If this is her first time doing so, or if this is a habitual thing. Once those aspects are clear, the arrest will be made accordingly,” said a police officer.
However, sources at Navghar police told the Free Press Journal that Dombe's daughter is known to be riding the scooty and her parents were aware of it.
“Their parents must have thought she was driving in the building vicinity so it's okay. Probably this is not the first instance where they both rode the scooty just for fun. It's just that this time it happened to be fatal,” said a source.
Man booked under various sections of MV act
The police added that Disha and Dombe’s daughter befriended in the year 2016 after Amberkar family moved to a building apartment in the Gavanpada area.
Dombe has been booked under sections 279 (rash driving), 304A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code and sections 180 (allowing unauthorised persons to drive vehicles) of the Motor Vehicles Act.
As per statistics by Mumbai Traffic Police, more than 526 cases of underage driving were registered in 2021, and 391 in 2022. As per law, once caught by a traffic cop, minor children are usually taken to traffic chowkis for “counselling” and subsequently their parents are too informed about the act.
(To receive our E-paper on WhatsApp daily, please click here. To receive it on Telegram, please click here. We permit sharing of the paper's PDF on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.)
