BMW driver arrested after Delhi crash kills finance ministry officer; family cries foul

Gaganpreet Kaur, accused of fatally crashing her BMW into a motorcycle in Delhi yesterday, killing senior government officer Navjot Singh, was arrested on Monday (September 15) from a hospital on charges of culpable homicide, rash driving, and destruction of evidence.

The son of the senior finance ministry official killed in the BMW crash has alleged that his father’s life could have been saved, but the woman driving the car diverted the injured couple 19 km away to a hospital linked to her family instead of a nearby trauma centre. He claims this move, which was meant to shield her, cost his father his life.

Also read | Woman jumps to death with mentally-ill son in Greater Noida, leaves note for husband

Couple charged with culpable homicide

The victim, Navjot Singh (52), Deputy Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs, was returning from Bangla Sahib Gurdwara with his wife, Sandeep Kaur, on Sunday (September 14) afternoon when their motorcycle was hit by the speeding BMW near Dhaula Kuan on Ring Road.

Navjot, who suffered severe head, facial, and leg injuries, was declared brought dead at Nulife Hospital in GTB Nagar. Kaur remains under treatment.

The BMW driver, Gaganpreet Kaur, and her husband, Parikshit Makkad, have been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, rash driving, and concealing evidence.

According to the FIR, Gaganpreet admitted the victims to the hospital along with her husband, who was also injured. A case has been registered against the couple under sections 281, 125, 105, and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

A key question raised is why the accused took the victims to a hospital 19 km from the accident site, instead of a nearby trauma facility. Police sources told NDTV that Nulife Hospital in GTB Nagar is co-owned by Gaganpreet’s father.

Accused booked app-based taxi after crash

After the accident, Gaganpreet and her husband, who also sustained minor injuries, booked an app-based taxi and took the injured couple to the Nulife Hospital in GTB Nagar

They travelled in a Maruti Eeco porter van driven by a person named Gulfam. He said he spotted Navjot and Sandeep at the crash site and rushed to help. The injured couple and Gaganpreet got into the car, and she asked Gulfam to drive towards Azadpur.

He told NDTV that Gaganpreet was on the phone instructing someone to “keep beds ready.” Gulfam said he was unfamiliar with the area and drove where he was directed, reaching the hospital in about 30 minutes.

Admitted to a hospital 19 km away

In her statement, Sandeep Kaur said the BMW was being driven at a reckless speed, lost control and overturned after hitting their motorcycle. She alleged that despite repeatedly requesting Gaganpreet to take them to the nearest hospital, she ignored her pleas.

“My husband was unconscious and needed urgent care, but she insisted on taking us to a small hospital far away,” she said. Kaur, who suffered multiple fractures and received 14 stitches on her head, is currently undergoing treatment at another hospital.

Sandeep has said she was wearing a helmet and her husband a turban. Navjot, she has said, suffered serious injuries on his head and face. "After the collision, I begged her several times to take us to a nearby hospital so my husband could get quick treatment. But she did not listen. Instead, she put us in a van and took us to a small hospital in GTB Nagar, nearly 19 km away," she said.

Son alleges delay cost father's life

Their son, Navnoor Singh, echoed her claims, alleging that his father lost his life because the accused deliberately avoided nearby trauma centres. “Time is critical. Maybe my father would have survived if he had been taken to the nearest hospital,” he told NDTV.

Also read | Delhi HC bars unauthorised use of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's name, image

Navnoor also accused the hospital of withholding information. “I kept asking who brought my parents, but the staff denied any knowledge. Later, I realised one of the patients admitted was the accused herself. I even saw a doctor preparing a medico-legal certificate in her name,” he said.

Dr Shakuntala Kumar, director of Nulife Hospital, reportedly said Navjot Singh was brought dead and that all medico-legal protocols were followed. “All patients are important to us. Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family,” she told NDTV, but declined to comment on the hospital’s ownership.