The Delhi High Court has rejected the bail plea of Amit Khanna, the alleged driver of the car involved in the 2023 Kanjhawala hit-and-drag case, observing that the gravity of the allegations and the manner in which the murder was allegedly committed did not warrant his release.
Justice Girish Kathpalia dismissed Khanna’s application after considering the CCTV footage and other material placed before the court. The case concerns the death of 20-year-old Anjali Singh, who was dragged for more than 12 kilometres after a car struck her scooter in the early hours of New Year’s Day in 2023.
The court noted that the CCTV footage allegedly showed that the offending car had been handed over to Khanna to drive. According to the court, after the vehicle hit Singh and her body became entangled underneath it, Khanna allegedly continued driving.
The order further recorded that the driver subsequently stopped and got out of the vehicle. Despite seeing Singh entangled beneath the car, he allegedly drove further, with the court referring to a distance of up to 13 kilometres.
Justice Kathpalia held that the seriousness of the allegations and the manner in which the offence was allegedly carried out weighed against granting bail.
Accused Cited Long Custody And Bail Granted To Co-Accused
Khanna had sought bail on the ground that he had remained in custody since January 1, 2023 despite there being no evidence against him. His counsel also pointed out that all the other co-accused had already been released.
The defence questioned the prosecution’s reliance on Nidhi, who was riding pillion with Singh when the incident occurred. Khanna’s lawyer submitted that Nidhi claimed she could identify him as the driver only in her third statement, which was recorded about a week after the incident.
The defence also relied on Nidhi’s testimony that Singh was heavily intoxicated while the two were returning from a party.
Khanna’s counsel further argued that the CCTV footage did not depict the accused and that the investigating officer had not yet placed the results of the Facial Recognition System on record.
Delhi Police Said Khanna Was Driving The Car
Opposing the bail application, Delhi Police maintained that Khanna was driving the vehicle at the time of the incident.
While examining Nidhi’s testimony, the High Court noted that although Singh was stated to have been intoxicated, the same statement also indicated that Khanna and the other occupants of the car were heavily drunk.
Taking into account the allegations and the CCTV material, the court declined to release Khanna on bail.
Murder Charges Were Ordered In 2023
Singh died after her scooter was struck by the car and she was dragged from Sultanpur towards Kanjhawala.
Delhi Police filed an 800-page charge sheet in the case in April 2023. In July that year, a trial court ordered the framing of murder charges against Khanna and three other accused.
