Chennai drunk driving: Racer Vikash Anand granted bail, asked to pay Rs 27.5 lakh to victims

The Madras High Court has granted racer Vikash Anand bail in the Chennai drunk driving case, on the condition that he pay Rs. 15 lakh as compensation to the victim's seven-year-old daughter. 

He must also pay Rs. 2.5 lakh each to the five injured and Rs. 1 lakh each to five more drivers who suffered minor injuries. Vikash will pay a total of Rs 27.5 lakh as compensation. His friend Charankumar who was also apparently in the car, will pay Rs. 1 lakh each to the 12 autorickshaw drivers whose vehicles suffered damage.

In the early hours of September 19, professional car racer Vikash Anand plowed his Porsche killing an autorickshaw driver and injuring eight others in Chennai.

According to The Times of India, a judge of the court said: “Both Vikash and his friend Charan Kumar were under the influence of alcohol, and it has also been proved by the medical report.”

The judge added: “Vikash had driven the car in a rash and negligent manner, hit against the median and dashed against 12 autorickshaws, which had been parked on the left side of the road. Due to the accident, 12 autorickshaws were damaged, one person died, three people sustained grievous injuries and five people sustained simple injuries.”

Vikash Anand, a professional racer was recently in the news for winning the premier title in the MRF Formula 1600 category. His father is Vijay Anand, a High Court lawyer and member of the Madras Bar Association, who is not practising any more. Vikash's friend, Charan Kumar, was also allegedly in the car at the time of the accident.

Previously, the Sessions court had dismissed the bail petition of racer Vikash Anand and his friend Charan Kumar. The prosecutor rejected the plea stating that the accident killed an auto driver and another man is in a critical condition in the hospital. He also added that the accident has caused a loss of property worth Rs 20 lakh, according to a report by Manish Raj in The Times of India.

Both Vikash and Charan Kumar had argued that the accident was “purely mechanical” and they also claimed that the police were invoking erroneous sections against them.

In the bail petition, Vikash Anand stated that at 3 am, the car lost control and to avoid hitting a boulder, they swerved as a result of which their vehicle hit the auto rickshaws.

He has also claimed that he was not behind the wheel and that the car was being driven by his driver.