Delhi Police are investigating the actions of Gaganpreet Kaur, accused in the Delhi BMW crash that killed senior Finance Ministry official Navjot Singh, focusing on her decision to take the victim to a faraway hospital owned by one of her relatives. This move is under scrutiny, with police suggesting possible malafide intention due to her choice of hospital and the distance from the accident site.
On Sunday, Navjot Singh, serving as Deputy Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs, was killed, and his wife was critically injured after their motorcycle was hit by a BMW near Dhaula Kuan.
Investigators revealed that after the crash, the victims were transported nearly 19 km from Dhaula Kuan in south Delhi to Nulife Hospital in north Delhi, which is owned by a relative of the accused.
A police representative stated during a hearing in a Delhi court, “Something has to be malafide if he was taken so far away”.
The suspected intention behind the hospital transfer is being examined as a key factor in escalating the charges beyond standard accident protocols.
Police sources indicated this decision is a central aspect of their probe, as they question why the victims were not taken to a closer trauma centre.
Sandeep Kaur, wife of the deceased, told police she had repeatedly pleaded with Gaganpreet and her husband to take them to the nearest hospital for urgent treatment. Her statement forms part of the official investigation, police said.
Meanwhile, the accused, Gaganpreet Kaur, defended her decision, explaining that she panicked after the accident and took them to a hospital she was familiar with, as her daughter had been treated there during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Police continue to examine whether familiarity or a family connection influenced the choice.
Navjot Singh’s family alleged they were taken to a small facility where Singh was declared “brought dead” and that the accused couple was treated before the victims, despite their critical condition. These claims are under review by the authorities.
CULPABLE HOMICIDE CASE AGAINST ACCUSED
Appearing for the accused for the hearing, lawyer Ramesh Gupta said that the accident case has been converted to a culpable homicide case. He argued for bail, citing legal provisions for women.
“When the investigating officer registered the case, he was of the view that the accused was driving in a rash and negligent manner,” he told the court. This initially influenced the legal treatment of the case
The lawyer requested the court to grant Gaganpreet bail, saying that “if it is a woman, bail can be given in death sentence cases as well.” The matter was put before the court.
“The FIR was registered 10 hours later. It’s an unfortunate incident, 5,000 accidents happen every year,” he submitted, adding that the woman’s children were also inside the car at the time of the accident.
According to police sources, Parikshit told investigators he could not explain how the accident occurred.
He said that after the collision, Gaganpreet told him she was taking the injured to a hospital by taxi, while he followed in another cab. He also told police that Gaganpreet called her father too, who later reached the hospital.
Gupta stated that Gaganpreet sat in the van that had stopped, leaving her phone in the car, and called her father-in-law who told her about the hospital. “I called my father-in-law, he said you can go to this hospital. In 20–21 minutes we reached there.”
“This is not an argument about why didn’t you go to some other hospital.” Defence counsel emphasised that Kaur had reasons for her decision and questioned the relevance of challenging the hospital choice.
Police maintain that transporting the victim to a faraway hospital may have legal implications under Section 304, with the case converted from accident to culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
The investigation is ongoing as the court considers bail and further evidence
