No interim relief for Nanda, Bhasin

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the police on an appeal filed by Sanjeev Nanda, the grandson of former naval chief S M Nanda, sentenced to five years8217; imprisonment for ramming his BMW car into six persons in 1999.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the police on an appeal filed by Sanjeev Nanda, the grandson of former naval chief S M Nanda, sentenced to five years8217; imprisonment for ramming his BMW car into six persons in 1999. Justice Kailash Gambhir passed the order on the first day of hearing of Nanda8217;s appeal, directing the Delhi Police to respond by October 3.

In his appeal, Nanda contended that the court had found him guilty despite not having any incriminating evidence against him. Justice Gambhir refused to grant any interim relief to Nanda, noting that the accident was indeed a 8220;serious8221; offence.

Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Nanda, contended that the trial court had wrongly convicted him due to publicity in the media and he should not be given more than two years of imprisonment.

8220;The court relied on the Alistair Pereira case where the accused was given three years of imprisonment for mowing down people sleeping on the pavement. In this case the accident happened because of the victim8217;s fault as they were standing in the middle of the road in the early hours,8221; Rohatgi said. 8220;Nanda8217;s offence stands on a lower footing as compared to Pereira and he should not be given more than two years of imprisonment,8221; he submitted. To this, the court asked the counsel, 8220;Do you want to say that the car accident is not a serious offence? People standing on the road were run over by the car8221;.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday refused to give any interim protection against arrest to Utsav Bhasin, a Haryana industrialist8217;s teenaged son, accused of killing one person with his BMW car in South Delhi. 8220;I am not giving any protection. I will hear the case Bhasin8217;s anticipatory bail plea tomorrow,8221; Justice Veena Birbal said while rejecting his plea to restrain the police from arresting him till tomorrow. Bhasin had approached the High Court for anticipatory bail in the case after the city police imposed additional charge against him under a harsher penal provision under IPC section 304 culpable homicide not amounting to murder. He was earlier denied anticipatory bail by a trial court on September 18. 8212; ENS