Happens only in India. 6 months for running over 7 people to death

Allister Pereira, the son of a Mumbai businessman who was charged with running his car over seven people sleeping on a Mumbai pavement in suburban Bandra last year, was sentenced to six months imprisonment and fined Rs 500,000 for running over seven people who died due to accident.

A local court found there was sufficient evidence to find 21-year-old Pereira guilty under sections 304 (a) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 337 (causing injury) of Indian Penal Code.

The court, however, criticized the police for its investigation which it said “was done casually”.

The verdict comes as a mixed bag for Pereira, who was alleged to have been under the influence of alcohol when he ran over the pavement-dwellers. He was charged under sections 304 (a) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), but was acquitted of the charges.

On November 12, 2006, Pereira lost control of his Toyota Corolla while returning from a party in Bandra and ran over seven people sleeping on a pavement near Carter Road Promenade. Eight others were injured in the incident.

He was allegedly to have been under the influence of alcohol at the time.

This is one of the very usual event happening in India where high and mighty mows down people sleeping on pavements with quite a regular phenomenon. Around 3-4 years back son of a arms brokers also mowed down around 10 people by his car and sometime back film actor Salman Khan was also involved in similar accident but so far nothing happened as proceedings are still in Court and Indian courts take years to dispose small cases and on last counts some millions of cases are languishing in courts and many poor people spend their lifetime in jails without even going to trail as system mainly favors the high and mighty.