Bandra hit-and-run case verdict on Friday

After the prosecution pinned Alister Pereira, 21, on the basis of its witness, Limbaji Ingle, the watchman at the accident site, it was the turn of the defence advocates to puncture holes in the prosecution arguments at the Sessions Court, Sewri on Thursday.

Judge Ajit Mishra recorded the statement of Pereira who allegedly ran over and killed seven pavement dwellers and injured eight on the night of November 12, 2006 and after hearing both the prosecution and the defence, reserved the case for judgment till Friday.

When questioned about the accident, Pereira said, “The accident happened because the car engine failed. The car moved right and crashed into the divider. I tried stopping it by breaking, but it did not. I don’t know what happened then but it stopped.”

When judge Mishra asked him about the statements made by some of the prosecution witnesses about the seven people who died and eight injured, his heavily damaged car as reported by panchas, the blood on the road, the articles seized from his car by the police, he said, “I don’t know”. He admitted that the Toyota Corolla involved in the accident was his.

Though Judge Mishra hinted that there was circumstantial evidence against Pereira, he heard the defence arguments at length and reserved his judgment.