Nanda convicted in BMW hit-and-run case

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Tuesday convicted businessman Sanjeev Nanda in the BMW hit-and-run case. The court said he deserved strict punishment because of "drunken driving".

Twenty nine-year-old Nanda is grandson of a former Navy chief and heir to one of the richest families in India. He now stands the prospect of spending the next 10 years of his life behind bars.

Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Kumar held Nanda guilty of mowing down six people including four policemen on January 10 1999 policemen with his luxury BMW car on January 10, 1999 in Lodhi Colony of south Delhi. He was allegedly drunk at the time.

“We will decide on an appeal,” said Nanda’s lawyer, Ramesh Gupta.

The court also held businessman Rajiv Gupta and his two servants Bholanath and Shyam Singh guilty, for destruction of evidence.

The only person who was acquitted was Nanda's alleged co-passenger Manik Kapoor, in that black BMW driving down Lodhi road January 10.

The prosecution had relied heavily on controversial eyewitness Sunil Kulkarni's statement and in the end it proved to be the correct strategy.

The Additional Sessions Judge held Kulkarni testimony – that Nanda reversed the black BMW, crushing survivors in the process - was clinching evidence in the case.

However, what really sets the BMW verdict apart is that the affluent accused tried to hijack the entire criminal justice system through their money power.

Now as the argument for quantum of punishment begins on Wednesday, the question, which remains, is in the light of such stringent indictment, can defence lawyers save Nanda from 10 years of imprisonment?

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