Nagpur, India- Ritika Malu, accused of driving the Mercedes involved in a fatal crash on Ram Jhula in February that resulted in two deaths, has approached the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court for anticipatory bail. This follows the denial of her pre-arrest bail application by District and Sessions Judge R. S. Bhosle (Patil). The High Court is scheduled to hear her petition on Tuesday.

Malu, a resident of Deshpande Layout, filed her application with a vacation bench, seeking relief from charges under Section 304 of the IPC, according to her counsel, Adv. Prakash Jaiswal.

The crash occurred on the night of February 24, 2024, leading to the deaths of Mohammad Hussain Gulam Mustafa (34) from Mominpura and Mohammad Atif Mohammad Joya (32) from Jafar Nagar. Allegedly driving under the influence, Malu, along with Madhuri Shishir Sarda (37), fled the scene but later surrendered and were arrested. Initially, charges were filed under Section 304(a) of the IPC and Section 184 of the Motor Vehicle Act, both bailable offences, for which Malu received bail from the JMFC court.

However, after Malu's blood sample report confirmed intoxication, police added a more serious charge under Section 304 of the IPC. The police then sought her custody from the JMFC, which was denied. The District and Sessions Court also rejected Malu’s subsequent application for anticipatory bail in this non-bailable offence.

Advocate Prakash Jaiswal argued that the police investigation is complete, with statements from Malu, her family, and eyewitnesses recorded, and sufficient evidence collected. He asserted that there is no further need for custodial interrogation, making Malu’s detention unnecessary. Additionally, the police have returned the car and gathered all necessary samples from the accident site, justifying the appeal for anticipatory bail before the High Court.