Hit student, send her to coma: Govt driver fined Rs 20,000 after 9 yrs

Mumbai: Nearly nine years after a speeding government vehicle allegedly knocked down a 17-year-old girl at a zebra crossing in Mumbai, leaving her unconscious for months with life-threatening injuries, a court has imposed Rs 20,000 fine on the driver convicted in the case.

The incident took place on May 28, 2017, near Churchgate, when P. Narayanasamy Poosaripadayatchi, then driving the Railway Commissioner’s official vehicle, allegedly jumped a red signal and rammed the car into Nidhi Jethmalani as she was crossing the road on her way to college for her Plus Two admission.

The collision left the teenager with severe head and hip injuries. She underwent multiple surgeries to reduce pressure on her brain and remained hospitalised for nearly three months in an unconscious state before finally returning home after prolonged treatment and trauma.

Despite the seriousness of the injuries and the long-term suffering endured by the victim, the accused driver, who was arrested on charges of negligent driving on the day of the crash, had secured bail within hours.

Last Friday, Mumbai’s Chief Judicial Magistrate Court found Narayanasamy guilty in the case but imposed only a Rs 20,000 fine nearly a decade after the accident. The court directed that the amount be paid to Nidhi as compensation.

The verdict has drawn attention to the contrast between the devastating impact of the crash on the victim’s life and the relatively minor financial penalty imposed on the convicted driver after years of legal proceedings.