A social media influencer who was allegedly run over by a bureaucrat’s son, Ashwajit Gaikwad, in December last year in Thane has approached the Bombay High Court seeking Gaikwad be booked under the charges of attempt to murder.
Priya Singh has claimed that she was subjected to a near-death act by Gaikwad, the son of a high-ranking bureaucrat in Maharashtra. The alleged incident took place in Thane on December 11, 2023, in which Singh suffered severe injuries to her right leg, shoulder and lower body.
Singh’s petition seeks that additional charges, along with Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), be invoked against Gaikwad. She has also sought a separate FIR for rape and cheating.
On December 16, Singh posted about her ordeal on social media.
According to the police, the alleged incident took place around 4.30 am near a hotel on Ghodbunder Road, where Singh had gone to meet Gaikwad. An argument ensued between the two. Later, when the victim collected her belongings from his car and started to leave, one of the accused, who was driving the vehicle, allegedly attempted to mow her down, causing her to fall and suffer serious injuries.
The Kasarvadavli police claimed it had registered an FIR on the same day against Gaikwad and his friends under Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 279 (rash driving), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 504 (intentional insult) and 34 (common intention). They were arrested on December 17 and released on bail the next day.
The case was subsequently handed over to a Special Investigation Team (SIT). However, Singh alleged that there was hardly any progress made by the investigators. Hence she filed a petition before the high court. The matter is likely to be heard by a bench of Justices PD Naik and NR Borkar.
