The bail case of the prime accused in Mumbai hit-and-run case, Alister Pereira, has been adjourned to September 7. Pereira was on Thursday sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment by the Bombay High Court.
Last year, the 21-year-old had rammed his Toyota Corolla into a pavement at Bandra, killing seven labourers and injuring several others.
A public outcry preceded the prosecution's appeal in the High Court and after the verdict of the lower court which let off Alistair with just a six-month jail term and a fine of Rs five lakh.
The High court had also pulled up the Mumbai police for shoddy investigation which included not providing urine and blood reports on time and the failure to examine the remaining five passengers in the car who were present when the accident happened.
Senior criminal lawyer Satish Maneshinde has welcomed the court's decision and believes it will act as a deterrent against similar crimes.
“I welcome the judgement. Right from the initial stages, the way the case was presented by the prosecution left a lot to be desired and created a public furore. It was rightly taken up by the High Court judges. People who get involved in such cases better beware of stricter punishments,” he said.
But Former IPS officer YP Singh expressed dissatisfaction over the verdict. “Three-years imprisonment is not sufficient. He killed many people, but it’s at least better that the verdict of the trial court. Mumbai police is accountable but the state government should have taken action against them,” said.
Comments
0 comment