Asian Window

Posted by Namita Bhandare:

Call it the Jessica Lal effect but word is out: The rich, powerful and well-connected can no longer hope for immunity from the law.

Last week, the long arm of the law finally caught up — nine years later – with the Wharton-educated Sanjeev Nanda, son of Suresh Nanda, an arms dealer and owner of The Claridges hotel and grandson of former Naval chief S.M. Nanda. A city court sentenced Sanjeev to five years of rigourous imprisonment for running over and killing six people asleep on the pavement when he was returning home late at night, drunk, from a party nine years ago in his BMW.

Sanjeev was found guilty of culpable homicide, not amounting to murder. His lawyers said they plan to appeal against the sentence.

Media’s reaction has been largely in favour of the judgement. ‘Justice delayed, but not denied,’ said The Times of India in an article that welcomed the sentence. “Money, power and influence play a great role [in the judicial process],” it observed. NDTV declared that it was ‘relieved’ that the judgement had finally been delivered. And the Hindustan Times went on to declare that Sanjeev ‘deserved’ his sentence.

Sushil Ansal

Now, days after Sanjeev’s sentence was passed, the Supreme Court on Wednesday, September 10 has cancelled the bail granted to the Sushil and Gopal Ansals, the rich and successful Delhi-based builders, in connection with the Uphaar case, where the South Delhi cinema hall owned by the Ansals went up in flames in 1997, claiming 57 lives.

The Ansals along with two of their managers were convicted and sentenced to two years rigorous imprisonment for negligence by the High Court. They went into appeal and the court granted them bail during the pendency of their appeal.

But on Wednesday, a two-judge bench issued notices to the Ansal brothers while hearing a petition filed by the Association of the Victims of Uphaar Tragedy that alleged that while out on bail the powerful and well-connected brothers were manipulating the system in their favour and tampering with court documents to manipulate the end result.

Sushil and Gopal Ansal along with two of their managers have been asked by the apex court to surrender at Patiala House courts by 4 pm on Thursday. There is every chance that they will get arrested when they do so.

And, elsewhere, in Punjab, former chief minister Amarinder Singh has been expelled from the State Assembly after being found guilty of graft. Amarinder declared, bravely, that he would not be seeking anticipatory bail.

Watch this space.

Similar Posts:

• My struggle will continue: Bilkis Bano
• Czech butterfly collector flees India
• Serial killer ‘the Serpent’ to marry translator
• Witness to a kidnapping
• How he was sentenced to die