Mumbai court rejects bail plea of lawyer Janhavi Gadkar, accused of mowing down two persons under the influence of alcohol
The Kurla magistrate court on Friday rejected the bail application moved by 35-year-old corporate lawyer Janhavi Gadkar who is accused of mowing down two persons here on June 10 under the influence of alcohol.
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"The application is rejected," Magistrate Richa Khedkar said in her order while extending Gadkar's judicial custody till July 10.
Gadkar, through her lawyer Amit Desai had told the Kurla court that the investigation in the case is over and her custody is no longer required.
Amit Desai before starting his arguments said that, "Undoubtedly the matter is of serious nature and even Gadkar sitting back in jail must be thinking if she could turn back the clock but what has happened has happened."
Desai had also argued that if Gadkar is kept in jail it would be pre-trial punishment. The senior lawyer had contended that charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder is not attracted in the case but police should have imposed section 185 of Motor Vehicle Act that deals with drunken driving.
Janhvi Gadkar
He had also argued that the magistrate is not barred from hearing the bail plea when the accused is a woman and the offence does not attract life sentence or capital punishment. Desai also had told the court that the prosecution's claim that she will tamper with evidence or will go absconding does not hold ground as after the accident she was allowed to go back home and the police had called her the next day.
However public prosecutor had opposed the bail, saying that the offence was serious and the magistrate can't grant her bail. Prosecutor Pralahad Mahajan had opposed the bail saying that some of the witnesses are friends of the accused and live in the same vicinity and hence she will tamper with evidence if released on bail.
In the early hours of June 10, an Audi driven by Gadkar rammed a taxi, resulting in the death of two persons including the taxi driver on the Eastern Freeway here. The deceased were identified as Mohammed Abdul Sayyad (55) and Mohammed Salim Sabuwala (50).
-With inputs from Sailee Dhayalkar
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