Thaindian News

Mumbai, Jan 20 (IANS) A week after the Supreme Court axed his bail in a 2006 Mumbai hit-and-run case, 25-year-old Alistair Pereira was Friday sent to jail after he surrendered in a sessions court here, police said.

Pereira first gave himself up at the Khar Road Police station in northwest Mumbai.

“The sessions court had issued a non-bailable warrant against Pereira last evening. He surrendered this morning,” Senior Inspector Mangesh Pote told IANS.

Pereira was then taken to the Sewri Sessions Court. “After the formalities were completed, he was sent to Arthur Road Jail,” Pote said.

On Jan 12, over five years after Pereira, driving under the influence of alcohol, ran over 15 labourers sleeping on a Mumbai pavement killing seven of them, the Supreme Court upheld a Bombay High Court verdict awarding him a three-year jail sentence.

According to the Supreme Court, Pereira, who has only served one month in jail, will now have to serve the three years of imprisonment.

The apex court bench of Justice R.M. Lodha and Justice J.S. Kehar cancelled the bail bond of Pereira, the son of a rich businessman, and directed him to surrender.

Pereira holds an engineering diploma. The hit-and-run took place on Carter Road in suburban Bandra Nov 12, 2006.

He was convicted by a sessions court April 13, 2007 which awarded him six months imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs.5 lakh that was to be paid to the victims.

Pereira challenged the conviction before the Bombay High Court, which Sep 6, 2007 confirmed his conviction and enhanced the sentence to three years.

Pereira had challenged the high court verdict in the Supreme Court. He was granted bail at that time.