SC grants bail to Pereira in Mumbai hit-and-run case

The Supreme Court today granted bail to Alister Pereira, the main accused in the November 12, 2006 Bandra hit-and-run case.

New Delhi, Oct. 1 : The Supreme Court today granted bail to Alister Pereira, the main accused in the November 12, 2006 Bandra hit-and-run case.

Admitting Pereira's special leave petition against his conviction by the Bombay High Court, a bench comprising Justices A K Mathur and Markandey Katju granted him bail.

Earlier, the Bombay High Court had rejected his bail plea saying: "Alister does not deserve any sympathy."

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice Ranjana Desai had said that the prosecution had successfully established that Pereira was drunk when the accident happened.

The Bombay High Court on September 6 had sentenced Pereira to three years rigorous imprisonment for running his car over labourers sleeping on a Bandra pavement. Seven labourers were killed in the accident.

He was also slapped with a fine of Rs. five lakh.

The Judges found Pereira guilty under Section 304 (II) (act with the knowledge that it is likely to cause death, but without any intention to cause death, or to cause such bodily injury as is likely to cause death), 338 (causing grievous hurt by an act endangering the life or personal safety of others) and 337 (causing hurt by an act endangering the life or personal safety of others) of the IPC.

Earlier, a lower court judgement giving a six-month imprisonment to Pereira had sparked a public outcry, which led to the High Court taking suo motu notice of the incident. It had issued a notice to the Maharashtra Government, asking why the prosecution of the case was so "pathetic".

After this, the State Government moved the court against the lower court's judgement in giving lighter punishment to Pereira.

Additional Sessions Judge Ajit Mishra, who handed the six-month imprisonment, has since resigned.

ANI