On 21st October, a magistrate court in Mumbai sentenced veteran Bollywood actor Dalip Tahil to two months in prison in a 5-year-old hit-and-run case. As per the reports, Tahil has been sent to prison for driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and causing an accident resulting in injuries to the passengers of an autorickshaw. The said incident took place in September 2018.
Reports suggest that Dalip Tahil tried to flee the scene following the accident but got caught in a traffic jam during Ganeshotsav. He was subsequently arrested and granted bail. Photographs of him sitting in the police station were shared in media during that time.
The accident occurred on 25th September 2018 at around 9 PM in Khar. His car hit an autorickshaw, injuring two passengers, 21-year-old Jenita Gandhi and 22-year-old Gaurav Chugh. Reports suggest that the impact resulted in a severe jolt to Gandhi and Chugh’s back. They got off the autorickshaw and saw Tahil’s car fleeing towards Santacruz. He was caught by the public and got into a fight while trying to get away.
After Tahil failed to flee the scene, he was taken to the police station, where he was booked for causing injury due to rash driving and negligent driving. He was booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Motor Vehicle Act for driving under the influence. At the Khar Police Station, Dalip Tahil reportedly refused to give a blood sample for an alcohol test and was later let go on bail due to lack of evidence.
While sentencing the actor for two months, the magistrate relied on the medical officer’s statement, who checked Tahil after the accident. In his report, the medical officer noted that there was the smell of alcohol, an unsteady gait, dilated pupils and incoherent speech.