BMW case: Delhi Police challenge HC order in SC

The Delhi Police have moved the Supreme Court against a Delhi High Court verdict reducing the punishment of the 1999 hit-and-run case convict Sanjeev Nanda from five to two years.

The Delhi Police have moved the Supreme Court against a Delhi High Court verdict reducing the punishment of the 1999 hit-and-run case convict Sanjeev Nanda from five to two years.

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In its appeal challenging the July 2009 verdict, the police said the high court was wrong in holding that Nanda did not know that his rash and negligent driving could lead to such a tragedy. Nanda was driving a BMW car that mowed down six persons, including three policemen, on January 10, 1999.

Nanda (31), the grandson of former naval chief S.M. Nanda, is already out of jail as a major part of his sentence was set-off against the period he remained behind bars during his trial.

The Delhi Police’s petition is listed for hearing on Monday.

The HC had said that though the incident was “gruesome,” it could not be held that it occurred within Nanda’s knowledge. It had modified the trial court order by holding him guilty under Section 304-A (causing death due to rash and negligent act) and acquitting him of Section 304 (Culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC, a more serious offence.