Alistair Pereira gets six months imprisonment

Mumbai, Apr 13: Alistair Pereira, who was accused of drunken driving in which seven labourers were mowed down to death and eight others injured on Carter Road in Bandra here on November 12 last year, has been convicted by a local court and sentenced to six months simple imprisonment.

The case was expedited following Bombay High Court directives.

The trials into the case had commenced only last week and were concluded within four working days after examining 18 witnesses.

Pronouncing the judgement today, ad hoc additional sessions judge A P Mishra held Pereira guilty of causing death by negligent driving and also imposed a fine of Rs five lakh or face an additional six months imprisonment in case of default.

Out of the total fine of Rs five lakh, Rs 4.5 lakh should be paid to the next-of-kin of the deceased in equal proportions and remaining Rs 50,000 should be deposited in the state exchequer, the judge directed.

However, the court did not hold Pereira guilty under section 304 (II) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which pertains to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and section 338 which pertains to causing grievous hurt, as the prosecution had failed to produce substantial evidence on these counts.

Earlier, in consonance to the high court directives, Pereira had already paid compensation of Rs 3.5 lakh each to the next-of-kin of the deceased and Rs 25,000 each to the eight injured persons.

Pereira, after a party at Taj Lands End in Band Stand here, had driven his Toyota Coralla car over labourers who were sleeping on the pavement. Seven of them were killed and eight others injured.

UNI