A road crash in Delhi’s Dwarka area that claimed the life of a 23-year-old man has triggered a wider debate after the family and lawyer of the minor accused sought public sympathy, citing academic stress and trauma faced by the teenager.The accident occurred on February 3 near Lal Bahadur Shastri College in Dwarka South. According to Delhi Police, a PCR call was received at around 11:57 am reporting a serious collision.When officers reached the spot, they found three damaged vehicles, including an SUV and a motorcycle. The motorcyclist, identified as Sahil Dhaneshra (23), was declared dead at the scene.Police registered an FIR at Dwarka South Police Station under Sections 281/106(1)/125(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Preliminary investigation suggests that the car, allegedly driven by a juvenile without a licence, first collided with a motorcycle travelling in the opposite direction and then rammed into another parked car.The father of the accused expressed remorse, saying, “This is my son’s mistake, and I apologise for it. I will follow whatever the legal process entails.”He told ANI that both his son and daughter were in the vehicle at the time of the incident and denied that his daughter was making a reel, clarifying it was only a short video. He added that the vehicle is part of the family’s commercial transport business and that previous challans were linked to hired drivers, not his son.“This is a heartbreaking incident. He is very disturbed. There is deep grief in the entire family, for that family as well as for ourselves. We cooperated with the police and provided all documents,” he said.Meanwhile, the defence counsel for the minor, Lal Singh Thakur, has drawn criticism for appealing for leniency, arguing that the accused is a “studious child” facing immense pressure. “The incident is very unfortunate and painful. The family has been severely stressed and traumatised. The boy has board exams and is unable to focus. He is a gold medalist, and this accident has had a huge impact on his life,” Thakur said.The lawyer emphasised that the matter is still under investigation and that the defence is not admitting that the minor was driving. He also argued that the teenager did not flee the scene and that the family did not attempt to cover up the case. According to Thakur, the Juvenile Justice Board initially sent the minor to an observation home and later granted interim bail on February 10 so that his studies would not suffer.Thakur further claimed that the family has received nearly 1,400 threatening calls and appealed to the media to avoid what he termed a “media trial,” warning that the pressure could have serious consequences for the minor’s mental health.#WATCH | Delhi: A 23-year-old died in a crash in Delhi’s Dwarka after an SUV driven by a minor collided with his bikeThe accused’s father says, “…This is my son’s mistake, and I apologise for it. I will follow whatever the legal process entails. Whatever information I… pic.twitter.com/xn10xTZ9VC— ANI (@ANI) February 17, 2026The case continues to be investigated as both families grapple with the aftermath of the fatal crash.
