Mumbai police arrest owners of BMW, Mercedes racing on Sea Link

MUMBAI: The Worli police have arrested the owners of a Mercedes and a BMW on charges of attempt to culpable homicide for allegedly racing against each other at over 120 km per hour on the Bandra-Worli-Sea-Link (BWSL) on Sunday morning. During the race, the cars first collided with each other, and later the BMW spun out of control and hit a passing WagonR.
The WagonR’s passengers—two men, two women and a child—escaped unhurt as did the driver, Nishar Ahmed. All the three vehicles were heading towards Bandra from Worli. A police constable, who was part of the team overseeing arrangements for a VIP movement along the stretch, said the accident happened at 11 am, an hour and a half before the VIP’s car was scheduled to proceed to the airport.
According to the police, Tariq Chaudhary, 29, a resident of Kurla, and Shahbaz Khan, 31, who lives at Mumbai Central, met in South Mumbai and decided to go to Bandra to have coffee. Chaudhary was driving his Mercedes while Khan was on his BMW’s driving seat. Both friends decided to race each other and the accident occurred, said senior inspector Ravindra Katkar of Worli police station.
The patrolling van and a police vehicle from Worli police station, which were checking the VIP movement routes, reached within two minutes. They immediately informed the towing truck and both vehicles were removed from the road and taken to Worli police station. The WagonR too was taken there.
The owners of the Mercedes and BMW were arrested and their medicals conducted in a hospital. An FIR has been registered against both under Sections 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 281 (rash driving), 125 (a) (rash or negligent act that endangers human life or the personal safety of others) 324 (4) (committing mischief and thereby causing material loss or damage) 285 (danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation) 3 (5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita along with Motor Vehicles Act Sections 112, 183, 184, 190 (2) and 189 (racing and trials of speed).
“The attempt to culpable homicide has been applied so that a strong message goes to the public,” added the police officer. “The police need not wait for someone to die in a crash and only then take serious action.”