The Egmore car accident case has taken a serious turn, with primary suspect Shaji Purushothaman questioning the authenticity of the ‘drunkenness’ certificate against him that was produced by the police.
He has claimed at no point of time was he taken to Government Royapettah Hospital (GRH) and produced before the medical officer. The ‘drunkenness’ certificate obtained there was “fabricated with the sole intention of implicating him.”
Shaji (38) made this submission in a petition seeking bail in the case. On May 23, Shaji said, he along with two friends, Syed Anwar and Anil Rao, were travelling in a car driven by Kumar. When the car was near Maternity Hospital at Egmore, a patrol jeep, which was being driven rashly, approached in the opposite direction. To avoid hitting the jeep, Kumar swerved the car to the left but the patrol jeep hit the vehicle. Kumar then lost control and ran over the persons sleeping on the pavement, he said.
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Shaji pointed out that in the remand report submitted to the XIV Metropolitan Magistrate in Egmore on May 24, the driver was shown as an accused and it had been categorically stated that the petitioner and another person whose name was not mentioned were produced before the doctor and ‘drunkenness’ certificates were obtained for both.
If he had been taken to the doctor, he said, the police would have been able to give the name of the other person. Failure to do so clearly proved the petitioner was not produced before the medical officer and the certificate obtained against him was fabricated. After coming to know that he was the vehicle’s owner and an industrialist, and with the news being widely published, he was implicated in the case and it was stated he had been driving the vehicle. All the other suspects in the case had been released on bail. Investigation was over, he said, seeking his release on bail.
A Sessions Court dismissed the bail plea on Tuesday.
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Meanwhile, the XIV Metropolitan Magistrate on Thursday extended his judicial remand till July 11.