Bus driver Santosh Mane, who mowed downnine people and injured 37 others on city streets in Januarylast year, was today sentenced to death by a local court.
Additional Sessions Judge V K Shevale termed the crimecommitted by the Maharashtra State Transport driver as "rarestof the rare" and said he killed people by running them over,fully conscious of the consequences of his act.
Rejected the defence argument that Mane had committed thecrime in a fit of insanity, the court passed strictures on thedefence witness and psychiatrist Dilip Burte for giving "falseevidence" in court.
The judge, who had convicted the driver of murder on April3, observed that Mane was fully conscious of his actions as hedid not dash the vehicle against any building on the roads buttargeted people to kill them.
"The accused has committed the murder of nine persons bymoving the bus dangerously with the intention and knowledgethat the act was so imminently dangerous that it will causedeath or bodily harm," the judge observed.
Mane was held guilty under sections 302 (murder), 381(theft of employer's property), 307 (attempt to murder) and324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means)of the Indian Penal Code.
Defence counsel Dhananjay Mane said his client wouldappeal against the sentence.
Mane had hijacked a state transport bus from Swargatedepot here on the morning of January 25, 2012, and mowed downnine persons, injuring 37 others in a nightmarish ride on thecity streets that sent shock waves in the area.
A dozen vehicles were also damaged in the mayhem unleashedby the driver, who was finally stopped by police and membersof public after a hot chase.