Cops verifying if Janhavi hit pedestrian in Colaba

MUMBAI: The police on Monday will oppose the bail application of Janhavi Gadkar, focusing on nailing “her lies”. Police inquiries with the staff at the Kalaghoda bar that was visited by the Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) corporate legal executive with RIL CFO Alok Agarwal have revealed that she drank beer thrice, 300ml each time, while Agarwal drank 330ml. Irish House staff also told the police that the duo used to visit at least once a fortnight.Also, there are unconfirmed reports that a fortnight before the freeway accident, Janhavi’s car hit a pedestrian outside the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Colaba. Senior police officers said they were verifying the matter.
A drunk Janhavi, driving on the wrong side of the Eastern Freeway in the early hours of Tuesday, hit a taxi headlong, killing the driver and a passenger, and injuring three more. DCP (zone 6) Sangramsingh Nishandar, who is supervising the investigations, has prepared a list for the prosecution’s argument in the sessions court on Monday. Janhavi is likely to put a battery of lawyers to seek bail and possibly challenge the charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder (IPC section 302-II).
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Byculla MLA Waris Pathan has taken an interest in the case. He said he will oppose the bail plea. The victims, the Sabuwala family of Nagpada, are from his constituency.
Noman Sabuwala (16), who escaped unhurt in the accident, said, “We will strongly oppose her bail on the grounds that despite being an advocate, knowing well that drinking and driving may cost somebody’s life, she went from bar to bar, drinking, and then drove, killing my father and the taxi driver.”

Janhavi had initially told the police that after drinking at Marine Plaza, she spent two hours on Marine Drive. Cops found this out as a lie as she went to Irish House as well. She said she drank two small pegs of whisky at Marine Plaza, but her bill revealed she drank six small pegs. The police later recorded Agarwal’s statement. They also have CCTV footage and bills.
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The police are also likely to present the incident of Janhavi knocking down two bike-borne BARC security guards in Govandi, three days before the Freeway accident. Janhavi took the two to Shatabdi hospital, and the matter was not reported. A doctor recognized her when she was taken there after the Freeway accident. Police commissioner Rakesh Maria said the government is likely to fast-track the case and appoint special public prosecutor to make it a watertight matter.