In the wee hours of Monday morning, a speeding Porsche rammed a dozen autos parked at the Cathedral road in Chennai city. Twenty-nine-year-old Arugmugam, an auto driver who was sleeping inside his auto died, crushed by the impact.
Racing driver Vikash Anand, who was allegedly driving the car, was arrested by Chennai police on charges of killing one man and injuring 11 others while allegedly driving the Porsche car in a drunken state. The police also arrested Charan Kumar, a man running an automobile showroom in Chennai and the passenger in the car.
Vikash however claimed in his bail application in court in Chennai that he was not behind the wheels of the car.
In his bail petition submitted to the principal sessions court, Vikash states that the accident was purely mechanical and “he was the only passenger in the car and was not driving the car” and should therefore be charged under IPC sections 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 304a (causing death by negligence).
Vikash in his bail petition does not mention who the driver was.
However, his friend Charan Kumar, in his bail plea submitted says that, he "is innocent of the alleged offence and he had not driven the car.” Contradicting Vikash’s version, Charan says, “The car was driven by Vikas Anand and he (Charan) was only the co-passenger.”
B Kumar, senior lawyer who represented Charan told TNM that he was unaware of what Vikash's petition said. Kumar had been TN CM J Jayalalithaa's lawyer in the disproportionate asset case in the special court and Karnataka High Court
Bail petition submitted by Vikash Anand
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Bail petition submitted by Charan
Vikash’s petition also suggests that he has been charged under section 304(2) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and section 308 (attempting to commit culpable homicide) as it is “fashionable” for the police to slap such charges in order “to get media attention.”
The 22-year-old law student says he is “inside the prison and suffering a lot” and with his examination commencing on October 20, his career would be ruined if he was not granted bail.
Vikash went on to state that the accident took place on Cathedral Road at 3am on Monday when the driver in an attempt to avoid hitting a boulder, swerved the car to the left. “In spite of this, the car’s right wheel hit the boulder, and he lost control of the car,” notes the petition. He also pointed out that the car tyre got punctured and the driver, thereby lost control.
Meanwhile, Chennai police have approached the Regional Transport Office for suspending Vikash’s driving license. Anand’s competition license has been revoked by the Federation of Motorsports Clubs of India and he was reportedly driving the Porsche at 140kmph according to TOI.
Meanwhile, TOI reports that on Wednesday, Vikash complained of stomach pain and the doctors at the prison hospital referred him to Royapettah General Hospital. He was admitted in the prisoner's ward at the GH. Police said he might stay at the hospital for a couple of days.