‘We were hit for no fault of ours’: Victim recalls fateful night
FIGHT CONTINUES Will approach high court, say kin of deceased
September 11, 2008 was a busy day for Mrigank Srivastava, who had just passed from a journalism college and was working as an audio visual director in a private news channel. His friend Anuj Chauhan had booked tickets for the movie Rock On.
Returning from the movie, Srivastava was at the helm of a Bajaj Pulsar 150 bike and Chauhan was riding pillion. The duo had reached BRT corridor near Moolchand flyover, when it was hit by a car being driven by Utsav Bhasin, son of a Haryana-based businessman, killing Chauhan and gravely injuring Srivastava.
Remembering the last few hours he spent with Chauhan, Srivastava said that while returning from the theatre, his friend revealed a wish — “He said he too wanted to make a movie like Rock On!”
“I now keep thinking … What if my boss had asked me to work extra hours? What if the BRT wasn’t built and we could have chosen an alternative route? What if we hadn’t got tickets?” said Srivastava, adding, “We were hit for no fault of ours.”
Though he survived the accident, Srivastava had led a tragic life ever since. The doctor removed 80% of the food sack from his stomach. He cannot eat more than two rotis and some fruits a day now. The movie Rock On is an excruciating memory for Srivastava: If it gets telecast on TV, he quickly flips the channel. The pulsar bike is housed on the terrace of his house in Vaishali.
“When Rock On 2 was released, my family wanted to watch it, but I just couldn’t. I avoid going to the terrace, since the bike is still there. I have kept it only since it is an important proof,” he said.
The Delhi court, besides awarding two-year imprisonment for Bhasin on Saturday, also ordered ₹2 lakh to Srivastava. “I have spent more than ₹17 lakh in my treatment. Due to the current status of my health, I am forced to use a car even if my financial condition is stretched. But the bigger question is, why were harsher charges dropped on him? ” Srivastava said.
In May 2017, the court acquitted Bhasin of harsher charges and convicted him under lighter offence of causing death by rash and negligent driving. Charges of culpable homicide, in which the maximum punishment is life imprisonment, was dropped.
Kshitij Chauhan, Anuj Chauhan’s elder brother, said the family would go to High Court. “We will demand that the convicted be implicated under harsher charges of culpable homicide,” he said.
IN MAY 2017, THE COURT ACQUITTED BHASIN OF HARSHER CHARGES, CONVICTED HIM FOR THE LESSER OFFENCE OF DEATH BY RASH DRIVING