The Bombay High Court on Friday rejected the bail application of hit-and-run convict Alistair Pereira, who was sentenced to three years hard labour in jail for drunken driving causing the death of seven construction workers last year.

Alistair's parents were hoping for the bail so that he could appeal against the sentence but the High Court division bench rejected the plea, dashing their hopes of taking him back to home. Presently lodged in Arthur Road central prison, Alistair will be shifted to another jail in Maharashtra after the bail rejection. Driving a Toyota Corolla after attending a lavish party with his friends on November 12, 2006 night, Alistair on Carter Road of Bandra, apparently lost control of the vehicle, which ran over seven workers fast asleep on the pavement. Eight others were injured in the mishap.

The 21-year-old son of a rich family, Alistair and his friends ran away from the spot but were arrested the next day. A lower court tried him and sentenced him to six months’ simple imprisonment for rash and negligent driving.
Following a sustained media campaign, the High Court took suo motu cognisance of the case and reopened the trial.

Verdict
The state government too filed an application for the review of the trial court verdict. While enhancing the sentence to three years’ rigorous imprisonment, the High Court upheld the fine of Rs five lakh imposed on him by the sessions court.

The judgment said it was common knowledge that poor people use pavements to sleep at night and Alistair was not unaware of it.

He, therefore, had knowledge that his act of drunken driving can cause death or injury to those workers in case of mishap, although he had no intention to do so.

Following the Bandra mishap, the Mumbai traffic police launched a drive against drunken driving and have arrested a number of young men in the past six months.