Chennai: The High Court has suspended the 5-year prison sentence imposed on an industrialist in a case where a boy was killed after he drove a car under the influence of alcohol, and has also ordered that he be released on bail.
Near the Chennai Egmore maternity hospital, on May 22, 2013, a 12-year-old boy sleeping on the pavement died after a car was driven under the influence of alcohol. Four people were injured. Police registered a case against industrialist Shaji Purushothaman, an executive of a private liquor factory, for driving the car while intoxicated.
The Chennai 7th Additional Sessions Court, which heard this case, sentenced the accused Shaji Purushothaman to 5 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs. 10,000. Following this, Shaji Purushothaman was lodged in Puzhal prison.
In this situation, an appeal was filed on behalf of Shaji Purushothaman in the Chennai High Court, seeking suspension of the sentence and bail for him. This appeal case came up for hearing before Justice M. Nirmalkumar.
The judge who heard the case suspended the 5-year prison sentence imposed on businessman Shaji Purushothaman and granted him conditional bail while he is in prison.
He was also ordered to furnish a personal bond of Rs. 10,000 and two sureties for the same amount, and to appear in court on September 1.
He was further ordered to appear in court once every three months and to accept the conditions imposed by the trial court for this purpose. It was also ordered that if the conditions are violated, the trial court may issue appropriate orders.
