What is the story about?
A 66-year-old man, who rammed a 17-year-old girl, nine years ago in Mumbai and left the teenager in a vegetative state, was fined and asked to pay Rs 20,000
in compensation to the victim, by a local court. The accident took place on May 28, 2017, when P Narayanasamy Poosaripadaiyachi, then 57, had hit 17-year-old Nidhi Jethmalani. Poosaripadaiyachi was driving a Toyota Innova of the then railway commissioner when he rammed Nidhi at a zebra crossing near Churchgate. As per reports, the car was cruising at 70 km per hour. Poosaripadaiyachi, who hails from Chennai, was arrested after the accident but released on bail on the same day.
What Happened to Nidhi Jethmalani
The victim Nidhi Jethmalani was seriously injured in the incident. When the accident took place, the teen girl was heading to college to seek admission in class 12. However, the accident caused injuries to her head and waist. She was rushed to the nearby hospital in the commissioner’s car by Poosaripadaiyachi.
The victim underwent a right decompressive craniotomy and lax duraplasty but was discharged from the hospital after three months.
Verdict Comes After 9 Years
Years later, on Friday, May 15, 2026, Mumbai’s Chief Judicial Magistrate court convicted Poosaripadaiyachi of negligent driving and fined him to pay Rs 20,000 to Jethmalani in compensation.
Pronouncing the order, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Supriya Vijaysinh Nikam informed that the accused, who is a resident of Chennai, has been showing up in every hearing from Chennai. He further said that Poosaripadaiyachi retired from his service in 2020 and his financial condition is poor. He is surviving by himself on the basis of a pension adding that the incident was purely an accident and a misfortune.
The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate further said that more than eight years have passed since this incident took place where the accused, who is the first offender, has already faced the ordeal of the trial.
Considering his family background and the fact that it was a single lapse on his part, the court is inclined to take a lenient view and imposing a fine will be the appropriate sentence in the present matter, Supriya Nigam said.
Final Settlement And Bombay High Court Observation
Back in 2021, a Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) had directed that the victim — Nidhi Jethmalani — be paid Rs 70 lakh in compensation and an additional corpus fund of Rs 1.5 crore to support her medical treatment.
Later, the Bombay High Court, while hearing an appeal by her father in 2025, had drawn a parallel between Nidhi Jethmalani and Aruna Shanbaug cases, who remained bedridden in a vegetative state.
The High Court had directed the Ministry of Railways to consider a final settlement claim of Rs 5 crore.
