Road rage: Victim’s kin reacts strongly to pilot’s bail

NEW DELHI - The family members of Rajiv Jolly, who was crushed to death by a Jet Airways pilot under his car in a road rage incident, Wednesday reacted strongly to the news of bail granted to the accused and said the police was showing leniency by booking him under non-grave offences.

He was crushed to death. It was not accidental. Police are soft towards the accused Vikas Agarwal, said C.S. Steven, Jolly’s brother-in-law.

As Agarwal’s father is in Indian Law (Judicial) Service, he might have created some pressure over the police, he added.

Rajiv Jolly, manager of Amici restaurant in Khan Market, was crushed to death under Agarwal’s Ford Ikon in upscale Khan Market Tuesday afternoon.

Agarwal was granted bail Wednesday morning. He was charged under Section 279 (rash driving) and 304 A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). According to a police officer, it was a bailable offence.

Jolly’s family alleged that Agarwal’s family was exerting political pressure on police.

It really shocks us to see that he got bail so fast. The post-mortem has also been delayed. I think somewhere there is political pressure. We are planning to move court to seek justice, said Jolly’s uncle David.

Meanwhile, when asked whether it can be said with confidence that Agarwal did not deliberately kill Rajiv, a police officer said: It will be clear in the forensic examination and post-mortem report. The victim’s wounds will determine if he was repeatedly mowed down. We should wait for these report before arriving at any conclusion.

Videography will also be done. We have specially asked the constitution of medical board for the post-mortem so that no allegations are levelled later on, he added.

According to witnesses, Jolly was driving out of the market and Agarwal was entering it when the latter’s Ford Ikon grazed the former’s Hyundai i10.

An angry Jolly alighted and entered into an argument with Agarwal. He grabbed the pilot’s collar while he was still seated inside the car and slapped him.

Agarwal tried to escape but Jolly hung on to the car’s window. The pilot continued to move ahead and Jolly came under the wheels and was crushed to death, according to a police officer.

Police had earlier said that Agarwal ran over Jolly four times while trying to reverse in his bid to escape.

A police team arrived at the spot and apprehended Agarwal, a resident of Patparganj in east Delhi. Jolly was rushed to Ram Manohar Lohia hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The incident took place outside Axis Bank in Khan Market at 1.50 p.m., police said.