Prosecution seeks murder charge against corporate lawyer held for drunk driving | Mumbai News
THE PROSECUTION will be seeking an enhanced charge of murder against corporate lawyer Janhavi Gadkar, who was booked in 2015 for allegedly driving her car in an intoxicated state on the Eastern Freeway and killing two people.
On Monday, additional public prosecutor Iqbal Solkar sought time from the court to make submissions with respect to framing charges against her under Sections 302 (murder) and 304 II (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC.
The chargesheet against Gadkar was filed under charges Section 304 II of the IPC, which has a maximum of 10 years imprisonment. Section 302, the charge for murder, has a minimum punishment of life imprisonment.
The prosecution is set to seek the enhanced charge, claiming that Gadkar had knowledge and intention about the alleged act which caused two deaths, as she drove the car after consuming alcohol that was beyond the permissible limits.
The prosecutor said as a lawyer, Gadkar was aware about the law and yet there was evidence to show that she had consumed alcohol in three different places before taking the wheel herself.
The prosecutor also said Gadkar had crossed the divider while driving her Audi Q3 and driven for nearly 2km in the wrong direction on the freeway, before crashing into a taxi, causing the death of the taxi driver and a passenger.
Gadkar had previously opposed the charges framed against her in the chargesheet.
The court is likely to hear the case next month before deciding whether any and if yes, which charges can be applied against Gadkar.
