Actor John Abraham on Monday got relief from the Bombay high court in a 2006 rash driving case. While upholding the 15-day jail term awarded by the sessions court, the HC granted the actor relief under the Probation of Offenders Act. The actor will be on probation, and if he is involved in another rash driving case, his probation will stand suspended. He will also have to pay `10,000 compensation to the two victims in the case.
While upholding the actor’s conviction, Justice R.C. Chavan observed, “It is the responsibility of the driver to see to it that the vehicle is under his control at all times to avoid such sudden accidents. Hence, it cannot be said that the lower court’s order of conviction was incorrect.”
The court, however, took a lenient view considering that Mr Abraham was not involved in any other crime and ordered that he be released on probation on furnishing a bond of `10,000. The court has also directed the actor to pay a compensation of `10,000 each to the two injured victims by this week.
Mr Abraham’s motorcycle had skidded and knocked down two persons in Khar on April 7, 2006. He then himself took the injured persons — Shyam Kasbe and Tanmay Majhi — to the hospital. The duo was discharged later.
The two victims and their families on Monday filed an affidavit in court stating they had no objection to the conviction being quashed as they had reached a settlement with Mr Abraham. The court, however, held that a case cannot be quashed due to settlement between the parties after the trial is completed.
In October last year, the Bandra magistrate court had sentenced Mr Abraham to 15 days’ simple imprisonment in the case. The sessions court had upheld the magistrate court’s order on March 9 this year, after which the actor had challenged it in the HC.