New Delhi, August 3
The Supreme Court today rejected the Delhi Police’s plea for enhancing the two-year sentence awarded to Sanjeev Nanda, grandson of former Naval Chief SM Nanda, for running over six persons in 1999, but directed him to pay up Rs 50 lakh and do community service for two years.

A bench comprising justices Deepak Verma and KS Radhakrishnan also held him guilty of culpable homicide under Section 304 of the IPC, rather than rash and negligent driving under Section 304A.

The trial court had sentenced Sanjeev to five years in jail under Section 304, but the Delhi High Court had reduced it to two years for rash and negligent driving.

While driving his BMW, Sanjeev had mowed down three policemen and three others on January 10, 1999.

Pointing out that Sanjeev had fled the accident site without caring for the victims, Justice Radhakrishnan said his conduct was “highly reprehensible”.

Observing that letting off Sanjeev with a two-year sentence that he had already undergone would send out a wrong message to the public, the SC asked him to pay a compensation of Rs 50 lakh which would be utilised by the Centre to help victims of road accidents.

The Bench also asked the Social Justice and Women’s Empowerment Ministry to ensure that Sanjeev rendered two years of community service in addition to the jail term he had undergone.

The SC delivered the judgment on an appeal filed by the Delhi Police challenging the HC’s verdict, reducing Sanjeev’s jail term to two years. The apex court said the HC was wrong in convicting Sanjeev under the lenient provision of IPC.