Hema Malini's driver arrested; actress undergoes surgery

Actress and Bharatiya Janata Party MP Hema Malini's driver was on Friday arrested on charges of overspeeding and causing death by negligence after her Mercedes collided with another car, killing a four-year-old girl and injuring the actress along with four others last night.

The 66-year-old actress underwent a surgery for her wounds at Fortis hospital in Jaipur and was doing fine, doctors attending to her said. She was also treated for a minor fracture on her nose.

Ramesh Chand Thakur, who was driving Hema's car when it met with the accident in Dausa, 60 km from Jaipur, has been arrested at Kotwali Thana in Dausa, SHO Dilip Singh told PTI.

An FIR was lodged against the driver, who hails from Vrindavan, under various sections of IPC including 279 (rash driving) and 304 (A) (causing death by negligence not amounting to culpable homicide) in the wee hours, the SHO said.

Thakaur was produced before Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Pallavi Sharma who granted bail to the driver. He was later released on bail.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Rajeand Hema's daughter Esha Deol visited the BJP MP at the hospital.

"She had lacerations in para-nasal area and on forehead near the right eyebrow," P Tamboli, facility director at Fortis said.

"A surgery of debridement and repair of lacerated wounds was carried out post midnight," he said.

It was a two-hour long process under general anaesthesia. She is now in post-operative intensive care unit, he said.

"Her clinical parameters are at normal level. She is doing fine and has been started on liquid diet," Tamboli said.

A team of specialists was attending to her, he said. Doctors said that Hema also suffered a minor fracture in her nasal bone. Plastic surgery was carried out near the nose and eyebrows and it will take six weeks for the wounds to heal.

Hanuman Mahajan, who lost his four-year-old daughter Sonam and was among the four injured, filed a complaint with the Kotwali police station in Daus against Ramesh, the SHO said.

He said both the vehicles were seized and a probe was on.

There were three persons in Mercedes -- BJP MP from Mathura Hema Malini, her PA and driver, while five persons including two children, two women and the complainant Hanuman Mahajan were in the other car, the SHO said.

Sonam, 4, succumbed to injuries on way to hospital in Dausa, while four others Hanuman, his wife Shikha, 35, Somil, 5, and Seema, 40, were shifted to Jaipur's SMS hospital, the SHO said.

Hema was proceeding from Mathura via Bharatpur to Jaipur when the mishap occurred on Agra-Jaipur National Highway-11 near Dausa in Rajasthan around 9 pm on Thursday. The other car was going from Jaipur to Lalsot.

Dr Bhartiya said that Hema was sitting on the back seat of the car and probably suffered the impact as her head jerked and hit the front seat when her vehicle was hit by the other car.

Hema was brought to hospital at Jaipur where she underwent CT scan and other tests.

Locals staged a protest after the accident and tried to block the highway, but they were dispersed by police, the SHO said.

Raje also visited the SMS hospital to enquire about the injured family members of Hanuman Mahjan and directed the administration to provide necessary care to the patients.

The condition of seriously injured five-year-old boy Somil, who was admitted to the ICU, was improving. The condition of Hanuman, his wife and brother's wife was stable in poly-trauma ward, Additional Superintendent of SMS Hospital Ajit Singh told PTI.

Raje visited both the wards and enquired about the health of the victims during her 30-minute stay, Singh said.

Doctors said Hema may be kept in observation for two to three days.

Plastic surgery was performed on a portion of Hema's face including on forehead near the right eyebrow and paranasal area, plastic surgeon Sandeep Mukul said.

"Healing of wounds would take six weeks, and scars will disappear in nine months," he said.

A nasal bone was displaced but no surgery was required, he said.

Hemant Bhartiya, neuro-Surgeon, said, "By and large she is stable".

"She requires observation for two to three days in ICU. She had pain in her lower back and neck, and a minor (probably old) displacement or crack in L-5 of vertibal column was spotted. She has comfortable movement."

Since it was a medico-legal case, police were doing necessary work, but Hema has not been quizzed so far, Dr Tamboli said.

"She is presently under intense monitoring of clinical experts. She had been started on liquid diet and had porridge in breakfast," according to a medical bulletin.

Among those who visited the Bollywood star were BJP party functionary and former MP Ramdas Agarwal, singer Anoop Jalota, and local MLAs.