FIR against Anand Mahindra and company officials over fatal Scorpio accident

UP Scorpio Accident Death Case: A First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged against billionaire Anand Mahindra, Chairman of Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd., on the directive of a Kanpur court regarding a fatal accident involving the company's Scorpio multi-utility vehicle.

FIR against Anand Mahindra and 12 others over fatal UP Scorpio accident

The FIR, which also includes the company's Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, CP Gurnani, and 11 others, including the dealer, is based on allegations by Uttar Pradesh resident Rajesh Mishra. Mishra claims that his son died in the accident last year because the airbag of the Mahindra Scorpio, purchased by him, failed to deploy.

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Mishra had gifted his son Apoorv a Rs 17.4 lakh Mahindra Scorpio in December 2020, citing the vehicle's safety features and technology, as well as social media posts by Anand Mahindra, as reasons for the purchase.

Tragically, on January 14, 2022, Apoorv lost his life in an accident while driving the Scorpio from Lucknow to Kanpur, where the vehicle hit a divider due to foggy conditions and overturned. Despite wearing seat belts, as confirmed by the police, Apoorv succumbed on the scene.

Airbag of the Mahindra Scorpio did not open

Mishra alleges that the airbag, a critical safety component, failed to deploy, contributing to his son's demise. The police have filed a case under various IPC sections, including 420 (cheating and dishonest delivery of property), 287 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery), 304-A (causing death by negligence), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy).