chandigarh

Updated: Nov 30, 2019 11:01 IST

Sheetal Sharma, a 25-year-old woman, who was arrested for assaulting a man near Tribune Chowk in a road rage case on June 25 this year, was charged with attempt to commit culpable homicide by a district court on Friday.

If convicted, she can face up to seven years in prison.

The court of additional district and sessions judge charged her under Sections 279 (rash driving), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

Sections 308 and 506 are punishable with prison terms of up to seven years each.

A person convicted under Section 279 can be sentenced to up to six months in prison, while Sections 323 and 341 can lead to prison terms of up to one year and one month, respectively.

Sharma was booked for assaulting Nitish Kumar with an iron rod after an argument, as he reprimanded her for hitting his car while reversing hers on a slip road near Tribune Chowk.

The court had dismissed her first bail application in July, stating that her release at that stage was likely to cause “serious prejudice to the case of prosecution”.

Advocate Ajay Sanghroha had said in the bail plea that Sharma, in custody since June 26, had been falsely implicated in the case. He argued that the first bail application was dismissed by the court because Kumar’s medico legal report had not been received.

Sanghroha also pleaded that the trial was likely to continue for an extended period and assured the court that Sharma will not misuse the concession of bail and appear on every date of hearing.

After spending four months in jail, Sharma was granted bail by a court of additional district and sessions judge in October after she furnished bail bonds of ₹50,000.

Sharma was previously also arrested in October 2015 after a case under Section 317 (exposure and abandonment of child under 12 years by the parent of a person having care of it) of the IPC was registered against her at the Sector 34 police station. She was acquitted later.

A QUICK RECAP

June 25: Sheetal Sharma reverses car on a slip road at Tribune Chowk and hits Nitish Kumar’s car, who is driving to Baltana with his aunt. The two have an argument, after which Sharma attacks Kumar with iron rod

Kumar files complaint, Sharma booked under Sections 279 (rash driving), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code

July 9: Sharma’s first bail plea is dismissed

October 22: Accused is granted bail by court

November 29: District court frames charges against her.