Little Raaja restaurant owner tries to pin car crash on new employee

The owner of Little Raaja restaurant tried to pin a hit and run on a new employee after fleeing the scene of his car crash.

Hema Sunder Maturi, who owns several Indian restaurants throughout Geelong, was driving from his Ocean Grove home to his Ocean Grove restaurant when he hit a tree and totalled his car.

Maturi fled the scene, forcing police to confront him in his home.

He later plead guilty at the Geelong Magistrates Court to careless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, driving while disqualified, and a charge of providing false information to police.

Maturi told police that a new employee was driving the car at the time and he did not know the employee’s name but would get back to them with their details.

Maturi also had his wife lie to the police before coming clean about the incident.

Maturi’s lawyer, Michael Vines, called the incident “just plain silly”.

“He is, in all other respects, an honest person,” Vines said.

Maturi had allegedly had two beers.

Magistrate Peter Mellas questioned whether Maturi’s reputation would remain intact after the incident.

“I would have thought as a businessman that you would want your reputation and integrity … to be regarded at its highest.

“This is an example of the exact opposite of that,” Mellas said before calling out Maturi’s lies.

“There’s not one, but two lies told,” Mellas said.

“Police are then spending time investigating the matter further, rather than (you) simply saying you’ve done the wrong thing.

“You did ‘fess up to doing the wrong thing and at least that happened very shortly after.”

Maturi was convicted and fined $4000.

Jonathan Jackson - 7-2-23