Driver fined, banned for driving with friend clinging to car bonnet

Driver fined, banned for driving with friend clinging to car bonnet

Unhappy that his friend owed him money, he confronted the man at his condominium.

But when his friend tried to drive away, he threw himself onto the car bonnet and clung tightly, for a whole 5km.

Mr Haresh Govindaraju, 46, climbed down only after the car stopped outside a police post and officers told him to get off the vehicle.

Yesterday, the driver of the car, Murali Krishnan Naidu, 44, was fined $2,000 and banned from driving for nine months for committing a rash act that endangered the life and personal safety of Mr Haresh on Oct 18 last year.

The New Paper reported on this incident at the time.

Court papers said Mr Haresh and Murali were long-time family friends.

But relations became strained after Murali and his wife owed Mr Haresh and two other friends huge sums of money.

So at about 6.15pm on Oct 18 last year, Mr Haresh and the two men went to Murali's condominium in Bukit Timah to settle the dispute.

They waited outside until they spotted Murali driving in. Murali's wife and his son were also in the car.

But Murali spotted his three friends running towards his car and drove away as he wanted to avoid a confrontation.

Mr Haresh and his two friends gave chase while shouting vulgarities in Tamil.

The trio caught up with the moving car and Mr Haresh's friends knocked on a window and the rear windscreen.

HELD ON WINDSCREEN

Mr Haresh threw himself onto the car bonnet and held onto both sides of the windscreen.

Murali and his wife tried to persuade Mr Haresh to get down but he refused.

Instead, Mr Haresh shouted at Murali to get out of the car and threatened to break Murali's and his wife's heads.

Murali felt intimidated and worried for the safety of his family so he decided to drive to the nearest neighbourhood police post in Bukit Batok.

Along the way, Murali stopped the car several times and asked Mr Haresh to get off.

Other road-users also urged Mr Haresh to get down.

Mr Haresh repeatedly refused and continued his threats to beat Murali up.

Murali's wife called the police along the way and said: "Someone is threatening my husband and wanting to beat him up. We are on the road."

When the car arrived outside the Bukit Batok Neighbourhood Police Post, Mr Haresh continued to cling onto the car and remained aggressive.

It was only after police officers warned him not to do so that he complied.

Yesterday, Mr Haresh told TNP that he was still traumatised by the incident.

"How could he have driven off with me still on the vehicle? I got on the bonnet because I didn't know any other way to get him to stop," he said.

"How could you do that to a friend? What if I had fallen off and got run over?"

When told of Murali's $2,000 fine, Mr Haresh said: "What about the money that he still owes me? Till today I've not gotten back a cent from him."

He added he was seeking legal recourse to get back his money.

For committing the rash act, Murali could have been fined up to $2,500 and/or jailed up to six months.

rloh@sph.com.sg


This article was first published on May 22, 2015.
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