Dwarka car accident: Accused’s father breaks silence ‘says very sorry, regretful, was not in Delhi’

A grieving mother is demanding an underage driver be tried as an adult and stricter action against his father after her son’s death (Accused father – Left, Victim & his mother – Right)

NEW DELHI: Sahil Dhaneshra’s mother has demanded that the underage driver be tried as an adult and stricter action taken against his father for allowing him to take the wheel.The minor’s father, against whom cops have filed an FIR and bound him down, told reporters that he was “sorry” and “regretful” for the accident. He claimed he was not in Delhi on the day of the crash.

Inna Makan, while grieving her son, Sahil, told TOI that she will formally challenge the FIR and appeal for stricter sections to be appended to it, adding that she had been waiting for his postmortem report before initiating a legal step. “I will approach the court soon,” she said.The case is reminiscent of an accident in Civil Lines in 2016 — a 17-year-old driving a Mercedes-Benz in a rash manner mowed down one Siddharth Sharma, 32. The accident similarly sparked a massive national debate over parental responsibility when high-end vehicles are placed in the hands of minors.While a legal battle looms in the current case, Inna’s personal loss is unfathomable. A single mother, she told TOI of the deathly silence in her Dwarka house and how she now clings to a few physical reminders of a bright life cut short. Among them are two handmade greeting cards that have become her most precious possessions. Sahil made one as a child to welcome her home from hospital, and the other with a simple note — “sorry mamma” — following a minor disagreement.Sahil’s friends remember him as a “happy-go-lucky” person, who as a teenager spent his free time watching motivational content online and dreamed of a future far beyond his current means. Inna recounted how his laptop’s wallpaper — a sleek sports car and a sprawling mansion — was a constant reminder of the ambitions he harboured. Having secured admission to a reputed university in Manchester, Sahil was to fly to the UK this Sept to pursue his master’s degree.The motorcycle involved in the crash was a testament to his independence; he had financed it 11 months ago using his own savings from part-time insurance work and a small business he had started with his cousin. “He often used the bike to drop me at my office… those brief rides were the only time we spent together amidst our hectic schedules,” Inna said.