Mumbai: In a detailed order cancelling the bail granted to a 17-year-old driver who killed a 33-year-old Ghatkopar businessman, Dhrumil Patel, in a hit-and-run incident, a special court on Friday stated that because the affluent minor associates with “spoiled, aristocratic children” and performs dangerous vehicle stunts, keeping him in a reform home is beneficial for his rehabilitation as well as in the interest of society at large.“It is a fact of judicial notice that in this year in Maharashtra (Pune and Mumbai), such types of incidents occurred involving opulent children, and in these incidents, innocent people lost their lives. After releasing the CCL within a short period of the incident, it will defeat the ends of justice and would frustrate the confidence as repose for the society,” Judge Mujibodeen S Shaikh said.The judge also noted that the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) had considered the social investigation report and the NGO report, along with the child’s family background, but had “lost sight” of the photographs uploaded on Instagram that showed him performing dangerous stunts. “On contrary, it reflects from the photographs loaded on the Instagram account of CCL (Child in Conflict with Law) and his friends namely ‘Ryankelafdebaaz’ that CCL is opulent children having company of spoiled aristocrats making stunts on the motorcycle by seating triple seat and seating on the bonnet and roof of the car involved in the accident shows CCL and his friends are not following the traffic rules.”The court said these acts indicated “lack of parental control on their beloved son’s activities”. “Obviously, if he is released on bail, then definitely he will come in the company of spoiled aristocrats and commit any other offence of the same type,” the judge observed.On Friday, the judge directed Juvenile Justice Board at Dongri to secure the child’s presence and pass appropriate orders sending the child to a reformative centre.“No doubt, the Juvenile Act is a beneficial legislation intended for juvenile/child in conflict with law, but also demands that justice should be done not only to the accused, but also to the accuser. The alleged act of CCL itself shakes the conscience of the society. The offence is obviously heinous in nature and if CCL is released on bail, it would defeat the ends of justice,” the judge said.The detailed order was made available on Saturday.On Feb 5, 2026, around 11.15 pm, Dhrumil and his wife, Menal Patel (32), were heading back to Ghatkopar from Parel, where Dhrumil worked, on his scooter when a car from the opposite direction “violently struck them” near Somaiya College, Vidyavihar. Dhrumil sustained grievous head injuries, rib fractures and fractures to his left knee and right wrist, while Menal too broke her right hand and sustained grievous injuries to her right eye and other parts. Dhrumil Patel died during treatment on Feb 15, after which the offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder was added.On March 6, Suburban Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) granted bail to the teenager, the minor, on a bond of Rs 25,000, despite charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.In April this year, claiming that there is deliberate deletion of evidence during pending investigations and attempts to subvert criminal justice by offering Rs 40 lakh as blood money, Meenal, a teacher, moved court to challenge the release of the minor.The prosecution also opposed bail, saying the minor had allegedly driven the car in a rash and negligent manner at high speed. The investigating officer stated that the minor and friends had an Instagram account on which reels of motorcycles and cars were posted, and that after the incident, reels were deleted. The investigating officer also alleged that the minor deleted the Instagram account and that the father was aware that the child was driving the car.The defence opposed the appeal and argued that the Juvenile Justice Act is reformative and rehabilitative, not punitive. The defence submitted that the minor had no criminal antecedents, was a Class 12 commerce student, had no addiction or criminal background, and had a stable family environment. The defence also argued that the gravity of the offence alone cannot be a ground to deny bail to a juvenile.However, in a 24-page order, the judge also referred to the allegation that the Instagram account was deleted after the incident. “The investigation is in progress and the CCL is released on bail. He may tamper the prosecution witnesses and the example of tampering witness is the deletion of Instagram Account which was formed by the CCL along with his friends who are deeply involved in the stunts of four wheeler and two wheeler vehicles,” the court said.The judge also noted that the crash had resulted in the death of an earning member of the family and left the wife with permanent disability.The order further recorded that the family of the child had offered money to the victims, and that a community meeting had taken place. The appellant had alleged that “blood money” was offered for settlement, while the defence disputed the version and claimed that the victim’s side had made a much higher demand.Earlier, Menal had petitioned Bombay High Court to seek cancellation of bail that the sessions court granted on March 4 to the driver’s father. It is pending.
