Delhi BMW accident: Finance ministry official cremated; main accused tests negative for alcohol

New Delhi, Sep 16 (PTI) Senior finance ministry official Navjot Singh, who was killed in a BMW crash near Dhaula Kuan here, was cremated on Tuesday in the presence of family members and relatives, even as police said the blood sample of the main accused, Gaganpreet, has tested negative for alcohol.

Singh's body was first taken to the Venkateshwar Hospital in Dwarka, where his wife is undergoing treatment for multiple injuries sustained in the accident. After the family members paid their respects at the hospital, the body was brought to his Hari Nagar residence and later, taken for the last rites.

Singh (52), a deputy secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs, was killed on Sunday afternoon when his motorcycle was hit by a BMW car while he was returning from the Bangla Sahib Gurdwara with his wife. While Singh died, his wife was seriously injured in the incident.

Police said Gaganpreet, who was driving the car, had her husband, two children and a maid as passengers at the time of the accident. The family from Gurugram is engaged in the manufacturing business. They too sustained injuries and were taken to a hospital after the crash.

According to police, Gaganpreet's blood test report has come out negative for alcohol consumption. She was arrested on Monday after being discharged from the hospital and was later remanded in judicial custody for two days by a city court.

A case has been registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 281 (rash driving), 125B (endangering life or personal safety of others), 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 238 (causing disappearance of evidence).

The collision took place near the Delhi Cantonment metro station, an area that witnesses heavy vehicular movement. The impact left Singh fatally injured, while his wife was rushed to a hospital in a critical condition about 19 kilometres from the accidental site.

Police said further investigation is underway to ascertain the sequence of events leading to the accident, including whether reckless driving was involved. They are also examining the CCTV footage collected from the stretch of the road and eyewitness accounts.

Meanwhile, police sources said Gaganpreet's husband, Parikshit, has been referred to another hospital.

"He was referred to a specialised orthopaedic hospital due to a nasal-bone injury. We will also question Parikshit after he is discharged from the hospital," a source said. PTI BM RC