KOCHI: Ernakulam Additional Sessions Court Judge B Kalam Pasha has sentenced a lorry driver to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed `50 lakh as fine for evading traffic signal resulting in the death of six persons at Palarivattom in 2010.
Pradeep, 32, Chinaar, Adimali, was driving the tipper lorry and the accident occurred at Palarivattom signal around 3.45 am on December 16, 2010. The deceased persons and the injured were on a a vehicle returning from Mysore after a leisure trip. The deceased were mostly youth from Palluruthy area. The tipper lorry, after overtaking the bus, stopped at the traffic signal point from the wrong side and hit the vehicle at the opposite side. Four persons died on the spot while two succumbed to injuries later.
P T Elssa, Additional Public Prosecutor, appeared for the prosecution. The court also ordered that from the fine amount, `8 lakh each has to be given to the kin of the deceased persons. Similarly, Rs 50,000 each has to be paid to the injured persons from the accident.
Circle Inspectors K R Venugopal and K D Jeevananda completed the probe and filed chargesheet. The court examined 33 witnesses and 34 documents during the trial.