Son seeks public inquiry into death of mother killed by police car in 1989

Kishni Mahay, aged 64, was thrown 30ft on Cannock Road, Wolverhampton, when she was hit by a police car responding to an emergency call on March 14, 1989.

A police investigation at the time concluded that Mrs Mahay had 'darted' out into the road and that it was a tragic accident.

A review by West Midlands Police , applying modern-day investigation techniques, recently reached the same conclusion.

But the victim's son Raj, of Oxley, is calling for the case to be fully examined by an independent public inquiry, saying key witnesses were never called to give evidence to the inquest, evidence from the crash scene was tampered with, and 'dubious' findings of a post mortem examination.

He has also launched a website, kishnimahay.com, which chronicles the case and his campaign over the past 26 years.

The 51-year-old said: "I am doing this because it is now the only route to justice and the truth can be told once and for all. Without justice the family cannot have closure.

"Over the years I have tried. It has been very hard. It was the original investigation that was the problem."

If the petition gets 10,000 signatures it will prompt a response by the government. By reaching 100,000, it will mean the government has to consider the issue for debate.

"It's a tall order," admitted Mr Mahay.

"But there are genuine people out there who can go onto the website and see for themselves my case.

"I ask people to take a look and then if they agree justice has not been done then they can sign the petition."

At the time an inquest jury ruled that Mrs Mahay's death had been an accident.

But Mr Mahay is frustrated that two eyewitnesses, Violet Mahers and Bimla Devi Banga, were never called to give evidence.

Shortly after the collision, Mrs Mahers told Central Television that Mrs Mahay had been on the crossing at the time of the collision while Mrs Devis Banga told the BBC she heard no warning siren from the car.

Mr Mahay also disputes the findings of a post mortem examination that found his mother had cirrhosis of the liver caused by alcohol abuse. He says his mother never drank alcohol.

But due to Punjabi custom, her body was cremated so her organs could not be re-examined. Mr Mahay believes his mother's reputation was tarnished by the post mortem examination that suggested she drank heavily.

He believes the cirrhosis could be caused by drugs she took to overcome tuberculosis.

He also takes offence that at the time, a senior police officer compared his mother to a 'proverbial dog'.

West Midlands Police said they had asked an investigator to look into the collision who, after examination, came to the same conclusion the force did in 1989. West Midlands Police Superintendent Mark Payne, said: "A modern traffic collision investigator examined the case to determine whether the original findings were correct.

"After applying modern techniques, the specialist investigator came to the view that the original findings were correct and that there was no rationale for any further investigation.

"I had a meeting with Mr Mahay to explain the outcome, that there were no more investigative opportunities, and that the view of the assessor was that it was a tragic accident."

The website launched by Mr Mahay, which links to his petition, can be found at kishnimahay.com.