Court Denies Ritika Maloo's Anticipatory Bail in Mercedes Accident
Nagpur, India- The District Court has denied Ritika Maloo's anticipatory bail application in connection with the Mercedes Ram Jhula accident case in Nagpur. On February 25, a speeding Mercedes, allegedly driven by Ritika Maloo, struck and killed Mohd Hussain Mustafa and Mohd Ateef Ziya on the Ram Jhula bridge.
Initially, on March 13, Maloo was granted ad-interim bail protection. However, after final arguments, the district and additional sessions court decided on Friday to reject her anticipatory bail.
Following the accident, Maloo was arrested a few hours later by the Tehsil police under the bailable offense of 304(A) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for causing death due to rash and negligent driving. She was granted bail within a few hours by the court.
On February 29, the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSL) confirmed the presence of alcohol in Ritika Maloo’s blood samples. Consequently, the police invoked the non-bailable offense under section 304 of the IPC. This section was added to the FIR with the court’s permission on March 2.
The police then sought permission from the judicial magistrate first class (JMFC) to arrest Ritika Maloo under the newly added provisions of section 304 IPC. However, the lower court rejected the request, leading the prosecution to file a revision before the sessions court. Anticipating the police's intention to take her into custody for interrogation, Maloo’s counsel also filed for anticipatory bail.
The incident occurred when Maloo and her friend, Madhuri Sarda, were driving back home to Wardhaman Nagar. Maloo's Mercedes collided with the side wall of the bridge and then crashed into a scooter driven by Hussain, with Ateef riding pillion. Both victims died from the impact. Maloo and Sarda fled the scene while the injured were rushed to Mayo Hospital. The two women were returning from CP Club after dinner. The police collected CCTV footage from the club and seized liquor bills as evidence in the case.
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