Why Take Victim To Hospital 19 km Away? What BMW Crash Accused Told Cops

Gaganpreet Kaur, the main accused in the Delhi BMW crash - in which the X5 SUV driven by her rammed into a motorcycle and killed Navjot Singh, a senior Finance Ministry official, and grievously injured his wife - has said she has 'no idea' how the horrific incident occurred.

She also told police she took Mr Singh and his wife to a hospital in GTB Nagar - 19km away - because she had been treated for COVID there. She said that in that moment, with her husband and daughter, who were also in the car, also bleeding, it was the only hospital she could name.

Ms Kaur, who received treatment at the same hospital, has been arrested on initial charges of rash driving, culpable homicide, and destruction of evidence. She has been sent to two days' judicial custody. The latter charge was made after it emerged Ms Kaur's father co-owns the hospital in question, leading police to wonder if there was an attempt to cover-up the case or alter or destroy biological evidence. Hospital authorities insisted protocols were followed but refused to confirm Gaganpreet Kaur's link to the owners.

The police have said Ms Kaur will be produced before a judge after a medical check-up, and that the result of a toxicology report - to establish Ms Kaur's blood alcohol level - is awaited.

"Regarding tampering of evidence charge (alleged by Mr Singh's family), she should have informed the police and taken the victims to the nearest hospital," Additional DCP (South West Delhi) Abhimanyu Prasad told reporters, confirming also Mr Singh's wife is in stable condition.

"CCTV footage will be checked to verify allegations of speeding. We have interrogated her... she claimed she has no idea how the accident occurred. She said they (her husband, child, and she) were on their way to Gurugram and the accident took place after a sudden impact..."

Delhi Police sources earlier told NDTV the BMW hit a road divider before hitting the bike.

Post-accident visuals that have since surfaced showed Ms Kaur being pulled out from under the wreckage of the BMW; the motorcycle can be seen next to the SUV, as can Mr Singh's body.

After this Ms Kaur and her husband, Parikshit Makkad, aided by an eyewitness called Gulfam, helped Mr Singh and his wife into a second vehicle, a taxi, to take them to a hospital. But instead of directing the taxi to any nearby medical facility, they drove the couple to GTB Nagar.

Navjot Singh arrived too late for medical assistance. His wife is being treated. Mr Singh's son, Navnoor, told NDTV his father could have been saved had he been taken to a local hospital.

"They had gone to the Bangla Sahib Gurdwara... It does not make sense that they were taken to a hospital so far away. Time is of the essence after an accident," he said.

Ms Kaur and Mr Makkad own a factory in Gurugram's Sector 37. The factory makes non-leather apparel and harnesses for horses, sources said, and has a turnover of more than Rs 50 crore.