Mercedes hit-and-run case: Court seeks police response on accused minor’s plea

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Friday sought the police response on the plea of the minor accused in the Mercedes hit-and-run case, challenging the Juvenile Justice Board’s order to try him as an adult.

The teenager accused, who allegedly ran over a 32-year-old marketing executive Siddharth Sharma while driving his father’s Mercedes, had on Thursday moved the court challenging the Juvenile Justice Board’s order.

In an unprecedented move, the board had on Saturday allowed the Delhi Police to try the minor accused as an adult in a trial court.

The Juvenile Justice Board said in its order that the accused is in no manner lacking in mental and physical capacity to commit the alleged offence.

The board also added that on the date of incident, the accused had the ability to understand the consequences of the offence.

The Delhi Police’s application sought transfer of the case to a trial court to try as adult the boy, who turned major just four days after the April 4 incident.

The Delhi Police had on May 26 chargesheeted the juvenile in the JJB for the offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

The offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder entails a maximum of 10 years jail.

The accused has been termed a ‘perpetual defaulter’, as he had been fined thrice – twice for speeding and once for parking wrongly – last year.

The police also chargesheeted the juvenile’s father and the family driver in this case.

The accused allegedly ran over Sharma with his Mercedes in north Delhi’s Civil Lines area on April 4.

The Delhi sessions court upheld the order granting bail to the juvenile, saying it is for the JJB to decide how long the child has to be kept in the reform home. (ANI)