Yet another landmark case in the history of Indian Penal Code. Alistair Pereira's drunken hit and run case allegedly killing seven people has now taken a new turn. With the sessions court sentencing him for six months of imprisonment (saying that it's culpable homicide and not murder), the High court has stepped in suo moto. The case is now being reopened. It will be tried all over again, as an act to deter others from the same.
We asked our TV celebs on whether the 21 year old should be sentenced to igorous imprisonment anticipated and debated to range betwen two to ten yaers for the crime commited.
Aroona Irani:
Of course! Ten years is less, even if he goes for a lifetime he will not be able to get the people back. Nobody has the right to kill anybody. When I read about the six months jail- majak bana ke rakha hai kya? Ten years means the value of one life is only sawa saal? Problem is that people think money can buy you anything, even the law. Koi bhi ho money should not be higher than somebody's life.
Ajay Gehi:
The law should take its own rightful course. He is guilty of murder and he will be punished. And it doesn't really make a difference if he is 21 or 34 years old: what you are as a person does not change. If you like fast cars and bikes you will like it all your life, if you enjoy drinking and driving you will continue to do it irrespective of how old you are. Age really has nothing to do with this! Today, there are so many hit n run cases; someone has to be rightfully punished for it to become an example.
Rajeshwari Sachdev: Rules are rules and they should be followed. If the attitude is: there are so many hit and run cases and this is just another one; then he should be jailed: sab ko dus saal ki sazaa do. The 'why make a big deal attitude' should not prevail. But if we're looking at a 21 year old who has his entire life ahead of him, and we know that he has made the biggest blunder of his life; we should think of an alternative punishment. He should be forbidden from driving all his life and should be made to do community work. Jail is no solution; he will only be an addition to the many in there. One needs to understand that six months or ten years is not going to bring back those lives.
Sachin Sharma: I will reserve my comment on this issue. Simply because it is a matter of life and my judgement may affect someone's life. I do not know the issue in detail; I have only read it in the papers. I do not want my remark on an issue of this magnitude to impress people to change their stand. What I say will be read and it may just influence others. I do not wish that, please accept my apology, it is after all a matter of someone's life, I can't be frivolous with my opinion.
Ashwini Kalsekar: I am happy that the High Court has taken up the case now. He should be jailed, and I will hold the same opinion for every other adult drinking and driving. It is illegal, period! I believe that a ten year sentence will bring him to his senses and make him a sensitive human being; of course his sentence can be reduced if his conduct in jail is good. I don't pity the boy, he killed seven people; who were probably the only earning members in their families. But I do sympathise with his parents. They must have gone through a lot to bring him up and look at what they have to go through now. Also, think of all the poor people who work during the day mending our streets and sleep in fear of someone driving over them. Alistair will be a lesson for every other reckless drunken driver.
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