The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed an appeal filed by the Gujarat government challenging a High Court order that granted bail to Rakshit Ravish Chorasiya, a 23-year-old law student allegedly involved in a fatal car crash in Vadodara in 2025.
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and N V Anjaria refused to interfere with the bail of the accused, who was allegedly driving under the influence of drugs when his vehicle killed one woman and injured nine others. The bench observed that Chorasiya had already served nine months in prison and maintained that the act was not “deliberate and voluntary.”
The case stems from an accident on March 14, 2025, near the Muktanand crossroads in the Karelibaug area of Vadodara. Chorasiya, a law student originally from Varanasi residing in a local PG accommodation, was driving a speeding car that crashed into multiple two-wheelers.
CCTV footage of the incident showed the vehicle striking two scooters, knocking over the riders, and dragging them before coming to a halt. One woman, identified as Hemali Patel, was killed on the spot. Nine other individuals sustained various injuries. Following the crash, bystanders apprehended Chorasiya—who appeared incoherent and was filmed being thrashed by the crowd—and handed him over to the police.
Advocate Swati Ghildiyal, appearing for the Gujarat government, vehemently opposed the bail. She argued that the accused was a “danger to society” and a “drug addict,” noting that he faced another FIR under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Ghildiyal detailed the accused’s conduct at the scene, stating that after causing three separate collisions, Chorasiya stepped out of the vehicle and shouted, “Another round, another round.”
“He had absolutely no remorse,” Ghildiyal told the bench. She further contended that the High Court erred by granting bail primarily on the grounds of the defendant’s age and the fact that he was under the influence. “How can consuming drugs be held in his favour?” she questioned, arguing that driving after consuming drugs implies a knowledge of presumed danger to human life, thus attracting Section 105 Part II of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which carries a penalty of up to 10 years.
The Supreme Court remained unmoved by the State’s arguments regarding the intentionality of the crime. The bench pointed to the High Court’s reasoning, stating that the accused’s age of 23 was a “relevant consideration” for the grant of bail.
The justices noted that the requirement for continued incarceration was not supported given the time already served (nine months) and the assessment that the crash was not a “deliberate or voluntary” act. Consequently, the top court dismissed the State’s appeal against the December 22 order of the High Court, allowing Chorasiya to remain on bail.
