A Delhi court on Monday, September 15, remanded Gaganpreet Kaur to two days of judicial custody in connection with the BMW crash that killed senior Finance Ministry official Navjot Singh and left his wife, Sandeep Kaur, injured.
Duty Magistrate Akanksha Singh ordered judicial custody after the accused was produced before her at her residence, noting that custodial interrogation was not required. The court also issued notices to Delhi Police and the victim’s family on Kaur’s bail application and directed them to respond by September 17, when the matter will be heard further.
The case so far
Kaur, a 38-year-old resident of Gurugram, was arrested after being discharged from hospital. She has been booked under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, rash driving, acts endangering life, and destruction of evidence.
Her counsel, Vikas Pahwa, opposed the arrest, arguing that the First Information Report (FIR) was filed nearly 10 hours after the incident and that his client was already in hospital following the crash. He claimed that no recovery was needed, no co-accused had to be identified, and there was no intent to cause death, adding that Kaur had tried her best to arrange treatment for the injured.
The accident
On September 14, a BMW allegedly driven by Kaur struck the motorcycle of Navjot Singh (52), Deputy Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs, who was returning from Bangla Sahib Gurudwara with his wife. Singh succumbed to his injuries, while his wife suffered fractures and remains under treatment.
According to police, the BMW first hit a road divider and then rear-ended the motorcycle, which collided with a DTC bus. Kaur was travelling with her husband, Parikshit Makkad, their children, and a domestic worker at the time of the crash.
Hospital choice raises questions
Kaur’s decision to take the victims to Nulife Hospital in GTB Nagar, nearly 19 km from the accident site, has raised suspicion. The hospital is reportedly co-owned by her father, fueling concerns of possible medical evidence tampering.
Survivor Sandeep Kaur told police that she had pleaded with Kaur to take them to a nearby hospital, but her requests were ignored. A bystander, Gulfam, said he transported the victims in his van while Kaur gave directions and instructed hospital staff to “keep beds ready.”
Hospital authorities later confirmed that Singh was brought dead and maintained that all protocols were followed.
