Early on Sunday (October 25), a car allegedly driven by a 17-year-old minor in Keralam’s Ernakulam district rammed into a two-wheeler from behind, killing its 57-year-old rider. The road rage case involving the minor, the son of an additional district judge, has brought into focus the issue of fixing the culpability of the guardian or the vehicle owner in juvenile driving cases.

The judge was booked under Section 199A of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and is slated to face prosecution. Here’s what the law says while determining that the vehicle owner shall be deemed to be guilty.

Section 199A of the Act was enacted by the Union government through the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019, for fixing culpability on guardian/owner of the vehicle driven by a minor. Accordingly, the guardian/vehicle owner shall be deemed to be guilty with an imprisonment of three years and a fine of Rs 25,000.…