Accused police driver who killed teenage boy got bail, Victim’s family pleads for murder charge

A local court on Tuesday granted interim bail to a police driver who is accused of crushing to death a teenage boy under armoured vehicle at Safa Kadal area of Downtown here on 5 May.
After hearing prosecution and defense counsel, the court had reserved the order on bail application on 19 May. On Tuesday, the court of the chief judicial magistrate announced granting of interim bail to the accused up to 28 May.
Police had earlier told the court of chief judicial magistrate Srinagar that it had identified the police vehicle that had mowed down, Adil Ahmed Yadoo, of Safa Kadal and arrested its driver.
The family of the victim had pleaded for booking the accused for murder. “The act of accused was intentional. He (accused) crushed the victim with having complete knowledge and malicious intention to kill him,” the counsel of victim family had pleaded before the court.
Adil Ahmad Yadoo, 18, was crushed to death by the armoured vehicle of police at Noorbagh area during clashes against the killing of three militants in nearby Chattabal area. A video had gone viral on social networking sites showing a bullet-proof police vehicle hitting the teenage boy. During investigation of the case, the vehicle was identified and the driver arrested.
The accused has been booked under sections 304-A RPC (causing death by negligence). Section 304A says whoever causes the death of any person by doing any rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide shall be punished with imprisonment extending to five years, or with fine, or both.
“This section deals with homicide by negligence and covers class of offences where death is caused neither intentionally nor with the knowledge that the act of the offender is likely to cause death, but because of the rash and negligent act of the offender. This section doesn’t apply to cases where death has been voluntarily caused,” said a lawyer.