Chennai, Aug 1:
Nearly a month after finding him guilty and convicting him, the Fourth Additional District and Sessions Court has awarded five year jail term to Empee Group scion Shaji Purushothaman in a 2013 fatal drunken driving case
Shaji failed to appear when the verdict was scheduled on June 30, 2026, the court issued a non-bailable warrant against him. Police formed a special team, searched for him in Mumbai and Delhi, and issued a Look Out Circular.
However, he evaded appearance for pronouncing the quantum of sentence citing health reasons. He explored all legal angles including moving the Madras High Court which had cancelled the NBW and asked him to appear before the trial court for sentencing, which he had challenged it in the Supreme court.
When he finally surrendered before the IV Additional Sessions Court on Thursday evening, Judge P Srikumar who had convicted Shaji under Sections 304(II) (culpable homicide) and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) of the IPC, besides provisions of Motor Vehicles Act, awarded five year jail term and also imposed a fine of Rs 10,500.
Later, Shaji was taken to Puzhal Central prison amid tight security.
According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on May 22, 2013, when Shaji, allegedly under the influence of alcohol drove his car onto a pavement killing a 13-year-old boy and injuring five others and fled the scene without assisting the victims or informing the police.
Shaji along with three others, on that fateful night drove a Mercedes Benz car in a rash and negligent manner. At about 1 am on May 23, when the car was nearing the Government maternity and children’s hospital at Egmore, he lost control of the vehicle, crashed against the right front wheel of a police patrol vehicle which came in the opposite direction. The car then swirled and rammed into a motorcycle parked in the bus shelter. Two boys, aged about 19, who were fixing flex advertisement boards in the bus shelter sustained severe injuries. Then the vehicle rammed children sleeping on a pavement nearby and caused injuries to five persons. After 13 years, he was finally convicted by the trial court, but sentencing got delayed as he failed to appear before the court.
After completion of trial, the 7th Additional Sessions Court had on June 29, 2026 convicted Shaji under Sections 304 (II) and 308 (four counts) of the IPC, along with offences under Sections 3 read with 181 and 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act, while acquitting the car driver Kumar.
When the verdict was delivered on June 29, Shaji failed to appear before the trial court, prompting the judge to dismiss his plea for exemption and issued a NBW for securing and producing him before the court on Tuesday (July 13) for sentencing. However, on that day police sought time as they were not able to trace him and said efforts were on to secure him following which the court posted the hearing to July 17 and directed the police to produce him without fail.
In the meantime, challenging the NBW, Shaji moved the High Court, citing medical reasons and ongoing physiotherapy for a back ailment. However, the court, while cancelling the NBW, declined to accept his plea for exemption, directing him to appear in person when the quantum of sentence would be pronounced.
After exhausting all options, he presented himself before the court when the quantum of sentence was pronounced.