Townhall Times, New Delhi
Reporter: Bhavika Kalra
There are no words for the kind of silence that has settled over a small home in Dwarka this week. For Inna Makan, a single mother who spent over two decades building a world for her only son, Sahil, that world didn’t just crumble—it was snatched away.
On February 3, 2024, Sahil was doing what any 23-year-old does: heading to work on his bike. He never made it. He was killed in a head-on collision by a speeding SUV. But what makes this tragedy unbearable isn’t just the “accident”—it’s the chilling reason behind it.
The “Reel” That Cost a Life
The most gut-wrenching detail of this case is that the people in the SUV—allegedly a 17-year-old minor and his sister—weren’t just driving; they were filming.
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The Allegation: Inna Makan has taken to social media with a video that would break anyone’s heart. She alleges the minor was driving his father’s Scorpio recklessly to shoot “stunt reels” for social media fame.
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The Footage: A 12-second clip from inside the car shows the SUV swerving past a bus and into the wrong lane, right before the impact that split Sahil’s bike into three pieces.
A Mother’s 23-Year Fight
To understand the weight of this loss, you have to look at Sahil’s life. He wasn’t just another statistic.
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The Dream: He was in his final semester of BBA and had already secured admission to a university in Manchester, UK. He was supposed to fly out later this year to build the life his mother had dreamed of for him.
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The Solo Journey: Raising a child alone in a city like Delhi is a marathon. Inna didn’t have a partner to lean on; Sahil was her everything—her emotional anchor, her future, and her best friend. Seeing his medals and Manchester admission letters still on the wall is a pain no mother should ever know.
The Legal Souring
The tragedy has now turned into a battle for justice that has the whole of Dwarka on edge.
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The Bail Factor: The minor driver was granted interim bail just a week after the crash so he could sit for his Class 10 board exams. For a grieving mother, seeing the person who allegedly killed her son “get back to life” while her son is in the ground is a slap in the face.
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Where is the father? Inna is asking the question everyone else is: why isn’t the father being held fully accountable? The SUV had reportedly been slapped with 13 over speeding challans before this. Why was a minor still allowed to take the keys?
Why Dwarka is Fuming
This isn’t just about one family anymore. It has sparked a massive debate about “rich-kid privilege” on Delhi roads.
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The Anger: From famous writers like Varun Grover to the local RWA groups, everyone is calling this “criminal negligence,” not an accident.
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The Petition: An online campaign titled “Justice for Sahil” is blowing up, with thousands demanding that the minor be tried as an adult and the parents be jailed for letting him drive.
The Bottom Line
Inna Makan’s story is a terrifying reminder of how fragile life is when it meets someone else’s recklessness. She didn’t just lose a son; she lost 23 years of hard work, hope, and the only person she had in the world—all for the sake of a social media video.
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