2006 hit-and-run case accused Alistair Pereira surrenders

Alistair Pereira, who was convicted for mowing down seven persons in 2006, on Friday surrendered before the Mumbai police, a day after a trial court in Mumbai issued arrest warrant against him.

The warrant was issued by the Sewri sessions court on Thursday after the Supreme Court cancelled his bail. "Pereira surrendered before us this morning. The Sewri court had issued a arrest warrant against him last evening.

Pereira will be produced before the court soon," Mangesh Pote, Senior Inspector at Khar Police station said.

On Monday, the 27-year-old Mumbai-based businessman had reached the Khar police station before being escorted by a police team to the Sewri court, for surrender. However, he was sent back home as a certified copy of the apex court order was not received either by the police or the court.

On January 12, the Supreme Court upheld the three year jail term awarded to Pereira, for running over seven persons sleeping on the pavement in Bandra. But the court had said the punishment for the "despicable aggravated offence" was "too meagre".

The Supreme Court, concurring with the Bombay high court's verdict of holding Pereira guilty for the offence, also said the sentence could not be enhanced as Maharashtra government had not filed an appeal challenging the jail term.

The apex court had cancelled Pereira's bail and directed him to "forthwith" surrender for undergoing the remaining sentence as awarded by the high court in 2007 for the incident of November 12, 2006 in Mumbai.

The high court had enhanced the six month imprisonment awarded by a trial court to three years and also imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh.