CHENNAI: A Chennai sessions court on Thursday sentenced businessman Shaji Purushothaman to five years of rigorous imprisonment for causing death of a 13-year-old boy after he drove a car under the influence of alcohol and ran over people sleeping on a pavement near Egmore in 2013.Shaji Purushothaman, director of EMPEE group of companies, on May 22, 2013, drove his car drunk. He lost control of the vehicle near the Govt Maternity Hospital, Egmore and ran over people sleeping on the pavement.Muniraj, 13, was critically injured while Vasu, Khaja Mohideen, Subarchita and Mani sustained grievous injuries. Muniraj succumbed to his injuries later. Following the incident, the Anna Square traffic investigation police registered a case.Though the VII additional sessions judge P Srikumar on June 30 found him guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, the punishment was not awarded since Purushothaman failed to appear before the court citing ill health. A non-bailable warrant was issued against him.On Thursday, as per the directions of the Supreme Court, Purushothaman surrendered before the IV additional sessions judge R K P Tamilarasi who pronounced the sentence.According to the prosecution, Shaji and three friends consumed alcohol on the night of May 22, 2013. Around 1am on May 23, he drove his car through Egmore under the influence of alcohol. Near the Govt Maternity Hospital, he lost control of the vehicle, hit a police patrol vehicle approaching from the opposite direction, struck a parked motorcycle near a bus shelter, and then rammed into the shelter.The impact injured two youths, who were fixing flex boards at the bus shelter, and five others, including Muniraj. The Anna Square traffic investigation wing registered a case based on a complaint lodged by an eyewitness, Rajesh. During the investigation, police arrested Shaji on July 30 after he was declared a proclaimed offender.The prosecution rejected Shaji’s claim that his friend, R M Kumar, had been driving the car. It relied on the first information report, confessional statements recorded before a magistrate under Section 164 of the CrPC from co-passengers, witness testimonies identifying Shaji as the driver, and a drunken certificate issued by the Govt Royapettah Hospital.
