BENGALURU: The High Court of Karnataka has commuted a 78-year-old man's simple imprisonment of one year for a day till the rising of the court.
Syed Saifudden of Bannimantap in Mysuru was sentenced by a trial court for causing an accident during a car test drive. While driving the car, he rammed a motorcycle from behind in 2012, resulting in the death of a pillion rider.
"Taking note of the physical/health condition of the petitioner, this court, as a peculiar case, is of the opinion that the sentence needs to be modified by directing him to undergo simple imprisonment for a day till the rising of the court by paying an enhanced fine amount of Rs 5 lakh, though the concept of 'blood money' is alien to the Indian criminal jurisprudence," said Justice V Srishananda. He directed the petitioner to undergo imprisonment for a day till the rising of the court and to pay enhanced fine amount of Rs 5 lakh on or before May 15.
On July 28, 2012, Saifudden, who took the test drive, drove the car in a rash and negligent manner and hit the bike from behind near the railway under bridge at Unnathi Nagar, KRS Ring Road in NR Police Station around 2 pm. The pillion rider, Lakshmi, and the rider were seriously injured.
Lakshmi succumbed to her injuries later. On March 26, 2018, the magistrate court sentenced Saifudden to undergo one year's simple imprisonment and pay a fine of Rs 7,500.
This was confirmed by the sessions court on August 9, 2018. Saifudden moved the high court by filing a criminal revision petition in 2018 challenging both the orders. He appeared before the court in a wheelchair with his son's assistance.
Modifying the sentence imposed by the trial court, which was confirmed by the sessions court, the high court noted that the petitioner volunteers to pay Rs 5 lakh as compensation to the dependents of the deceased, apart from the compensation which has been received by the dependents through the tribunal.