Real estate baron held for fatal Porsche crash, gets bail in hrs

Was booked for death by negligence, which is a bailable offence; victim's kin demand stricter charges

- Naina Mishra

CHANDIGARH: The driver of the speeding Porsche that killed a 27-year-old scooterist in Sector 4 on Monday evening was arrested but bailed out within hours, sparking outrage as the victim's family questioned the swift bail and demanded stricter charges against the accused.

The driver was identified as real estate baron Sanjeev Babuta, 49, the director of Subhash Mangat & Group, who resides in Sector 8, Panchkula. He was present at the scene when the police arrived after the accident.

The deceased, Ankit Aswal, 27, a native of Uttarakhand, worked at a grocery company in Manimajra and was heading home after completing his shift when the tragedy struck. His family was eagerly waiting to celebrate his birthday on March 11 when they received the tragic news.

Victim's sister, Sonica Aswal, who reached the police station along with a dozen women on Tuesday morning, expressed shock over the police granting bail to the accused within hours. She accused the authorities of going soft on the driver despite the brutality of the accident.