Mumbai: Father Faces Case After Underage Son Critically Injures Couple in High-Speed Crash

A severe accident late on February 5 in Vidyavihar left a couple critically injured when a minor driving a car at high speed collided with their two-wheeler near Somaiya College. The Tilak Nagar police have filed a case against the father of the 17-year-old driver for permitting an underage and unlicensed individual to operate the vehicle. The crash occurred around 11:15 pm on Tansa Pipeline Road as the car, reportedly out of control, struck a motorcycle carrying Dhurmil Premji Patel, 33, and his wife, Minal Patel, flinging them violently onto the road.

Eyewitnesses Describe High-Speed Collision

According to witnesses, the Kia Seltos involved in the accident was traveling at nearly 100 kmph when it collided with the couple’s two-wheeler. The impact hurled the victims approximately 50 feet, while the car smashed into a nearby wall and suffered extensive damage. Dhurmil and Minal Patel, residents of Ghatkopar West, had just finished his shop work in Lower Parel and were returning home when the collision occurred. Bystanders reported that the minor driver and his father, Valji Raja Bhushan, 43, remained near the damaged vehicle until police arrived.

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Critical Condition of the Injured Couple

The severely injured couple was first admitted to Rajawadi Hospital and later transferred to Zynova Shalby Hospital on LBS Road, where their condition remains critical. Police confirmed the minor driver’s age through his Aadhaar card and birth certificate, establishing his date of birth as June 29, 2008. Following a complaint lodged by the injured man’s uncle, Mahesh Karamshi Patel, 57, the Tilak Nagar police have registered a case against the father for allowing his underage child to drive, which contributed to the dangerous incident.

Charges Filed Under Indian Law

The FIR notes that the minor operated the vehicle recklessly without a valid license, resulting in grievous injuries to the couple. The father has been booked for negligence in permitting his underage child to drive, directly contributing to the offence. Authorities have invoked relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act and the Motor Vehicles Act, and the investigation is ongoing. Meanwhile, relatives of the victims have raised concerns over delays in police action against the accused, urging faster accountability in the case.