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According to the court's opinion, the charges against Katuria are of a serious nature. (Youtube)
Three UPSC applicants drowned in a flooded basement at Rau IAS Study Circle in Delhi's Old Rajender Nagar and five were sent to judicial custody for 14 days
A Delhi Tis Hazari court on Thursday granted bail to Manoj Kathuria, the driver of an SUV who was among the three IAS aspirants who died tragically in Old Rajender Nagar area. Katuria's lawyer argued in court that he had nothing to do with the crimes.
Katuria's lawyer Rakesh Malhotra said all the alleged involvement by the police was purely hypothetical and there was no material to support any of the charges.
Police accuse Manoj Katturia of 'excessive enthusiasm': court
The court said the Delhi Police had suggested that Kathurya was “overly enthusiastic”.
ACJ Manmohan, who questioned Delhi Police over the arrest of the SUV driver, said everyone was trying to protect each other's backs.
“What the police were doing when they arrested the passerby, the driver said 'because you passed, the water went into the basement'. Have you ever questioned a person who didn't clear out the water?” the ACJ said.
The bench also said that due to the “free culture”, the Delhi government does not have the funds to upgrade infrastructure, especially the city's drainage system.
During the hearing, Delhi Police informed the court that they had decided to drop the more serious manslaughter charge against the driver of the SUV, which did not amount to murder.
The court said since the Delhi Police did not find him guilty of manslaughter, other authorities could grant him bail.
Three UPSC applicants drowned in a flooded basement at Rau's IAS study circle in Delhi's old Rajender Nagar and five people, including the driver, were sent to judicial custody for 14 days after his vehicle was driven in rainwater, causing water to flow. Added broken down basement door.
Video shows the moments the SUV passes before water enters the basement of the coaching center
In a video that has surfaced online, reportedly shot by a student at the coaching centre, Katuria can be seen driving his Gurkha unit through waterlogged roads. The video shows the gate of the coaching center collapsing due to the force of the water.
The video shows a four-wheeler driving through water on the road outside the institute and splashing onto the institute's gate. In the next frame, the institute's gate can be seen appearing to collapse as strong water flow can be seen entering the basement.
Delhi Police on Tuesday opposed Kathurya's bail plea, saying he “Mustique Hall”. During the hearing, Additional Public Prosecutor Atul Srivastava, appearing for Delhi Police, played some videos taken from Kathuria's social media profiles showing him driving the same SUV and said: “I'm sorry to use that word. But he is They did it all at Masti Hall and Masti. (He was naughty. He caused the incident just for fun).
According to the police, Katuria was booked under BNS sections 105 (manslaughter not amounting to murder) and 115 (2) (intentionally causing hurt). Police said Katuria was walking his accountant home when the gate was damaged by the force of the water flow.
