BMW driver accused of trying to run over traffic cop in Mumbai gets bail

The chief operating officer (COO) of a digital media company, who was arrested for allegedly trying to run over a traffic constable after her BMW rammed into a car and a scooter in Vile Parle West, was granted bail by a Bandra court on Saturday.

The incident took place around 8.30pm near Pratiksha Bungalow on NS Road. According to the police, traffic constable Prashant Hake of the Vile Parle traffic division was on duty at the junction when he noticed a commotion following the collision.

The police said the BMW, allegedly driven by Juhi Mehta, rammed into a stationary car, pushing it into a scooter. As the accident led to a traffic jam, Hake asked the drivers to move their vehicles to one side.

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Mehta allegedly argued with Hake and threatened to implicate him in a false case. The police claimed that while the constable was standing in front of the BMW, she started the vehicle and attempted to run him over. Hake moved aside to avoid being hit, following which the car allegedly sped away towards JVPD Junction.

Mehta, a resident of Juhu Tara Road, later posted videos of the accident, giving a different account. She claimed that a woman on a scooter had come towards her and was hit by the WagonR, not her BMW. She also said she had been waiting for over 35 minutes for a senior police officer to arrive, that the crowd at the spot had grown and that she left because she was alone.

The Juhu police have registered a case against Mehta under Sections 132, 125 and 351 of the BNS, 2023, and Section 184 of the Motor Vehicles Act.

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The police said she was arrested and that a medical examination was conducted to check whether she was under the influence of alcohol. She was subsequently granted bail by a Bandra court on Saturday.