Manish Mashelkar, relative of one of the victims who were run over by Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray's personal assistant Ravindra Mhatre, on Thursday withdrew his writ petition seeking Mhatre's re-arrest under more serious charges from the Bombay high court.
A Division Bench of Justice R M S Khandeparkar and Justice P V Kakade allowed Mashelkar to withdraw the petition saying he is free to approach the local court where Mhatre's trial will be conducted, to seek alteration of charges, but only after the police file a charge-sheet against Mhatre.
The court also made it mandatory that the police provide copies of the first information report, spot-panchanama, post-mortem report and blood test report to the victim or his kin, when asked for.
Mhatre was arrested on March 26 under Section 304 A of the Indian Penal Code (causing death by negligence, which attracts two years' rigorous imprisonment) for mowing down three people, two of whom died later. He was released on bail the same day.
Manish, grandson of one of the victims Leelabai Mashelkar, had filed a petition in the HC seeking Mhatre's rearrest on a more serious charge, under Section 304 II (culpable homicide not amounting to murder, which prescribes 10 years' RI).
The court asked him to approach the appropriate authority, the Motor Accident Claim Tribunal, to seek Rs 20 lakh compensation.
Earlier, the police told the court that the Regional Transport Authority had cancelled Mhatre's licence. Later, after the blood sample analysis, Mhatre was booked for driving under the influence of alcohol under the Motor Vehicles Act and Bombay Prohibition Act on March 28.
Police booked Mhatre under Section 134(a) of Motor Vehicle Act on April 16 for failing to provide medical assistance to the injured, the public prosecutor informed the court.
Earlier reports:
Mhatre car victim's grandson seeks relief