Court Rejects "Blood Money" Settlement, Upholds FIR in Child's Tragic Death

In a tragic incident, a 5-year-old child was crushed to death under a car in Delhi last year. The driver, Vipin Gupta, was allegedly driving in a drunken state when the accident occurred. An FIR was filed against Gupta for rash and negligent driving.

However, Gupta later arrived at a settlement with the legal representatives of the deceased child, agreeing to pay a compensation of Rs. 1 lakh. Gupta then filed a petition seeking to quash the FIR against him, citing the settlement.

But the Delhi High Court has firmly rejected this plea. Justice Girish Kathpalia stated that "quashing the FIR after approving such a settlement would be tantamount to sanctifying blood money, which is not recognized by our legal system." The judge emphasized that the deceased child "cannot be compensated in any manner," and the legal representatives have no "moral or legal authority to barter away his life for money."

The court maintained that the criminal proceedings against the accused driver must continue, regardless of the compensation agreement. It held that no "civilized society would approve of blood money" in such cases. The judge's strong stance underscores the gravity of the incident and the court's commitment to upholding the rule of law, even in the face of attempts to settle the matter financially.