A businessman in India has been charged with endangering the life of a child after letting his nine-year-old son take his 315kph Ferrari out for a birthday spin.
Neither child was wearing a seatbelt.
The video went viral and sparked outrage across India.
Kerala Police inspector MV Verghese yesterday said Nisham had also been charged with allowing a minor to drive.
However, the boy’s mum insisted they had no regrets about letting their son get behind the wheel of such a powerful car.
“I am proud of him,” said Amal Nisham. “He’s been driving since he was five.
“He was insisting for months. It was his birthday so we allowed him to drive the Ferrari. He’s a cautious and confident driver.
“It’s not easy for a child to achieve such a feat at a young age.”
The video, which sees the boys driving along a residential street in the Ferrari F 430 with children chasing them on foot, went viral on YouTube and caused an outrage across India, resulting the police charges.
Inspector Verghese said the dad, who has a thriving tobacco and real estate business, owns a stable of 18 cars worth an estimated Dhs15 million.
Dubai-based mum Lesley Cully, founder of the safety awareness campaign Buckle Up In The Back, said the parents showed “jaw-dropping negligence” by allowing the joyride.
“Money can buy you a lot of things but it doesn’t buy common sense,” said Cully.
“How proud would the mum be if he kills them – or kills other people?
“This is wrong on so many levels.”
Zohaib Yahya of Sheikh Zayed Road firm Exotic Cars said there was no way a nine-year-old boy should have been given the keys to such a high-powered vehicle, which he said retails for around Dhs550,000.
“You need a driving license before you drive any car, let alone a Ferrari,” he said. “You need to be careful.”
The legal driving age in India is 18.
Inspector BJ Kumar said the boy’s father Nisham handed himself in at a police station in Kochi, in the southern Indian state and was granted bail.
Inspector added that police would likely impound the Ferrari while the case is ongoing.
Source: http://www.7daysindubai.com
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