Murder on roads
Nooriya Haveliwala
Charges: Culpable homicide not amounting to murder
Status: Appeal pending in HC. She is out on bail.
On January 30, 2010, the Colaba resident rammed her SUV into a taxi and a police car at Marine Lines, killing a motorcyclist and a sub-inspector. The police said the 30-year-old was driving under the influence. A special court convicted her of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and sentenced her to five years in prison. Nooriya has appealed against the verdict and the plea is pending in the High Court. She is currently out on bail.
Ravindra Mhatre
Charges: Causing death due to rash and negligent act
Status: Trial still on. He is out on bail
The former secretary of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray rammed his car into a bus stop near the Vile Parle police station on Holi in March 2005, killing two women. He was allegedly driving under the influence. The car Mhatre allegedly drove was registered in Thane. The son of one of the victims sought inquiry into the use of a Thane vehicle in Mumbai. In March this year, a Thane court acquitted Mhatre in the car registration case.
Puru Raajkumar
Charges: Rash and negligent driving
Status: Compensation paid to victims
Bollywood legend Raaj Kumar's son Puru Raaj Kumar ran over eight people sleeping on a pavement in Bandra in December 1993. Three died and the others were seriously injured. Puru did not spend a single day in jail. A court convicted him and ordered him to pay compensation. The kin of the dead were paid Rs 30,000 each and the injured were paid Rs 5,000.
He was not given any other punishment. He lives in Worli.
Neel Chatterjee
Charges: Rash and negligent driving resulting in death
Status: Disposed of
Neel Chatterjee, a former senior executive of Standard Chartered Bank allegedly knocked down and killed Ramakant Dhuri, a security guard, near Prabhadevi on February 4, 2006. According to the police, Chatterjee lost control of his Mercedes sports car and ploughed into Dhuri, who died while being moved to KEM Hospital. He was charged with rash and negligent driving resulting in death. A Bhoiwada court disposed of the case.
Alistair Pereira
Charges: Culpable homicide not amounting to murder
Status: Completed his jail term
In November 2006, Pereira lost control of his Toyota Corolla on Carter Road and drove onto a group of construction workers sleeping on the pavement, killing seven people and injuring six. The police said Pereira, the son of a businessman, had been partying with his friends at a five-storey hotel before the accident.
Pereira’s trial got over within a week in April 2007 and he was convicted and sentenced to only six months in prison for causing death by rash and negligent act. Media investigations revealed that the police had carried out a shoddy probe and the trial, too, had not been conducted properly. The revelations led to a public outcry.
The then chief justice of the Bombay High Court, Swatanter Kumar, took suo motu notice of the case and got an appeal listed before his bench. After hearing the defence and the prosecution’s arguments, the High Court convicted Pereira for the serious offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and sentenced him to three years in prison.
The court said that that anyone living in Mumbai would know that the poor sleep on the pavement. If a person drives a vehicle at high speed and that too under the influence of alcohol, then he/she would be assumed to have “knowledge” that such an act can result into someone’s death. In such circumstances, the motorist would be liable to face the charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
The Supreme Court upheld the High Court judgment in 2012.
Charges: Culpable homicide not amounting to murder
Status: Appeal pending in HC. She is out on bail.
On January 30, 2010, the Colaba resident rammed her SUV into a taxi and a police car at Marine Lines, killing a motorcyclist and a sub-inspector. The police said the 30-year-old was driving under the influence. A special court convicted her of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and sentenced her to five years in prison. Nooriya has appealed against the verdict and the plea is pending in the High Court. She is currently out on bail.
Ravindra Mhatre
Charges: Causing death due to rash and negligent act
Status: Trial still on. He is out on bail
The former secretary of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray rammed his car into a bus stop near the Vile Parle police station on Holi in March 2005, killing two women. He was allegedly driving under the influence. The car Mhatre allegedly drove was registered in Thane. The son of one of the victims sought inquiry into the use of a Thane vehicle in Mumbai. In March this year, a Thane court acquitted Mhatre in the car registration case.
Puru Raajkumar
Charges: Rash and negligent driving
Status: Compensation paid to victims
Bollywood legend Raaj Kumar's son Puru Raaj Kumar ran over eight people sleeping on a pavement in Bandra in December 1993. Three died and the others were seriously injured. Puru did not spend a single day in jail. A court convicted him and ordered him to pay compensation. The kin of the dead were paid Rs 30,000 each and the injured were paid Rs 5,000.
He was not given any other punishment. He lives in Worli.
Neel Chatterjee
Charges: Rash and negligent driving resulting in death
Status: Disposed of
Neel Chatterjee, a former senior executive of Standard Chartered Bank allegedly knocked down and killed Ramakant Dhuri, a security guard, near Prabhadevi on February 4, 2006. According to the police, Chatterjee lost control of his Mercedes sports car and ploughed into Dhuri, who died while being moved to KEM Hospital. He was charged with rash and negligent driving resulting in death. A Bhoiwada court disposed of the case.
Alistair Pereira
Charges: Culpable homicide not amounting to murder
Status: Completed his jail term
In November 2006, Pereira lost control of his Toyota Corolla on Carter Road and drove onto a group of construction workers sleeping on the pavement, killing seven people and injuring six. The police said Pereira, the son of a businessman, had been partying with his friends at a five-storey hotel before the accident.
Pereira’s trial got over within a week in April 2007 and he was convicted and sentenced to only six months in prison for causing death by rash and negligent act. Media investigations revealed that the police had carried out a shoddy probe and the trial, too, had not been conducted properly. The revelations led to a public outcry.
The then chief justice of the Bombay High Court, Swatanter Kumar, took suo motu notice of the case and got an appeal listed before his bench. After hearing the defence and the prosecution’s arguments, the High Court convicted Pereira for the serious offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and sentenced him to three years in prison.
The court said that that anyone living in Mumbai would know that the poor sleep on the pavement. If a person drives a vehicle at high speed and that too under the influence of alcohol, then he/she would be assumed to have “knowledge” that such an act can result into someone’s death. In such circumstances, the motorist would be liable to face the charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
The Supreme Court upheld the High Court judgment in 2012.
