HC reserves orders on Alister, State's appeals

Mumbai, July 23 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today reserved its order on appeals filed by Alister Pereira, challenging the trial court jjudgement sentencing him to six months simple imprisonment as well as by the Maharashtra government for enhancement of sentence awarded to him.

Pereira has filed the appeal against conviction and sentence of six months for rash driving that killed seven labourers and injured eight others on Carter road in Bandra last November, whereas the State wants him convicted under section 304, part II of the IPC for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

A Division bench comprising Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice Ranjana Desai will, however, continue to hear the suo-moto proceedings initiated persuant to media reports of a lacunae in the Alister case, in which the whole police machinery in the State is under the scanner of the court.

The court has indicated that in the proceedings it wants to check whether there was something wrong basically with the State police machinery.

Pereira has prayed for a release on probation under the provisions of Probation of Offenders Act considering his age -- 22 years as of today -- and the fact that he had paid substantial amount of compensation to the victims in the case, in case the court refuses to acquit him.

UNI