More jailtime for Nanda: cops to HC

Sanjeev Nanda — convicted in what is widely known as the BMW hit-and-run case — on Monday protested against Delhi police’s delayed move to seek enhancement of his jail term in the 1999 case on the ground that he recently got married, after the mandatory period of 180 days to appeal against the High Court order had lapsed, reports Bhadra Sinha.

Sanjeev Nanda — convicted in what is widely known as the BMW hit-and-run case — on Monday protested against Delhi police’s delayed move to seek enhancement of his jail term in the 1999 case on the ground that he recently got married, after the mandatory period of 180 days to appeal against the High Court order had lapsed.

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Delhi Police has assailed the High Court verdict for treating the offence against Nanda as a “rash and negligent” act. In its appeal before Supreme Court, the prosecuting agency has contended that the court should have attributed knowledge against Nanda as the latter was intoxicated while driving the car.

Nanda’s counsel senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi lambasted the police and said they were all out to ruin his client’s marriage through their appeal against the subordinate court judgment that had sentenced him to two years jail term.

HC judge, Justice Kailash Gambhir had, however, set him free for good conduct.

Appearing before a bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, Rohatgi argued that before tying the nuptial knot, his client waited for more than 180 days, the mandatory period within which the police was required to file the appeal.

Even his wife was apprehensive of marrying him, Rohatgi told the court.

The court told Nanda’s counsel it would hold a preliminary hearing of the case in July. It added the delay in filing the police appeal was only 51 days.

Six people, including three policemen, were crushed to death by a BMW car driven by Sanjeev in an inebriated state on Lodhi Road on Jan 10, 1999.