Sanjeev Nanda gets 5-year imprisonment

New Delhi, Sep 5 (UNI) A local court today sentenced Sanjeev Nanda, grandson of ex-naval chief S M Nanda, to five-year imprisonment in the BMW hit-and-run case that left six people dead, including three policemen.

Sanjeev, the prime accused in the case, was driving the BMW car in a drunken state and ran over six people -- Mehandi Hassan, Gulab, Nasir and three policemen Rajan Kumar, Ramraj and Teru Lal in Lodhi Colony area in the early hours of January 10, 1999.

The car was then driven to one Siddharth Gupta's house in Golf Links area in a warehouse, where Siddharth's father, Rajeev Gupta, instructed the watchman, Bhola Nath and driver Shayam Singh to clean the bumpers and bonnet of the car off blood and vestiges of the victims. Subsequently, the police charged these people with destroying the evidence.

Of the listed 66 witnesses, some, including the lone survivor, had turned hostile during the trial.

Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Kumar found Sanjeev guilty under section 304(Part II) of the IPC while Rajeev Gupta, Bhola Nath and Shayam Singh were convicted under Section 201(destruction of evidence) of the IPC.

After hearing the arguments of quantum of sentence from prosecution and defence, the Judge sentenced Sanjeev to five-year imprisonment.

The court also sentenced Rajeev Gupta to one-year imprisonment with fine of Rs 10,000 to and six months imprisonment to Bhola Nath and Shayam Singh with fine of Rs 100 each.

UNI XC SP HT1618