Gurgaon:
More than 50 days after 33-year-old Kshama Chopra was killed, her family still awaits justice. Kshama was three months pregnant, the family happy and excited about bringing a new life into the world, but all their dreams shattered, when the car she, her husband and her parents were travelling in, was hit by a speeding BMW.
Since the accident, Shailesh Shetty, Kshama's husband is still bed-ridden, her mother in a deep coma and father battling for life.
The car was allegedly being driven by 18-year-old Suraj Sherawat, who is the son of a wealthy Gurgaon-based businessman Devender Sherawat. Mr Sherawat also runs a massive cab business in the city.
The accused was charged with culpable homicide, but 30 minutes after he surrendered, he was out on bail. The case has raised several questions: Why has nothing been done and why has no one been arrested?
NDTV has details of police lapses at every step. It took five days after the accident for the police to identify the owner of the BMW car. The police say it was a weekend and they had to track a Chandigarh number plate, so it took them time.
On day six, cornered by growing outrage and reports in the media, the police issued a notice to Suraj Sherawat, who was allegedly driving the car. But the Sherawat family's driver, Rajesh, came forward claiming he was the one behind the wheel. The court rejected Rajesh's claim. Witnesses had said there were only two people in the car - Suraj Sherawat and his friend Daksh Jaiswal. Daksh, the main eyewitness, was not questioned until six days later. Finally, 10 days later, Suraj himself surrendered, but got bail in 30 minutes.
What is appalling is, perhaps, the blatant manner in which court orders have been ignored. The court had ordered that Suraj's driving licence should be confiscated on May 16. 44 days later, that has still not happened.
Blood samples were taken from Suraj to match samples from the accident site. It has been 44 days, the results are still awaited.
The key eye-witnesses who took Suraj and Kshama's family to the hospital are nowhere to be found. Have they been pressurized to stay silent?
NDTV repeatedly tried to contact Suraj Sherawat's lawyer for a response, but the family and Suraj have refused to give a response. Meanwhile, sources have told NDTV that Suraj does not even possess a driving license, but he continues move freely. In fact, he did not appear before the special investigation team set up to probe the case, even after the police gave him a 10-day extension.
The police are supposed to file a chargesheet by August 1. NDTV tried for a police response, but they refused to comment since the matter is sub-judice.
The raging public anger is best expressed in Kshama's husband's own words. "My life is finished... It's a nightmare I live everyday... If anybody can please get my Kshama back... And if not that, get justice for her."