Delhi HC rejects Sanjiv Nanda's Bail in BMW case

The Delhi High Court on Saturday (October 4) rejected the bail plea of Sanjeev Nanda, the main accused in the BMW hit-and-run case. Sanjeev, grandson of the former naval chief, SM Nanda, was awarded five years’ rigorous imprisonment in the case after nine years of legal battle.

Earlier, the decision was announced by the additional sessions judge Vinod Kumar at the Patiala House Court on September 5. He was convicted by the Court on September 2 for mowing down six persons including three policemen on January 10, 1999, at Lodhi Colony in South Delhi while he was driving in a drunken state.

"It may be true that the appellant was not directly involved in the contempt case but it cannot be lost sight of that all efforts were being made to save the appellant (Nanda) from the rigours of law by adopting devious and murkier methods," Justice Gambhir said and also referred to the recent order of the apex court cancelling the bail of the Ansal brothers in Uphaar fire tragedy case.

The bench said that Nanda's alleged exemplary and commendable behaviour cannot be countenance looking into the serious allegation against him for indulging into winning over the witness and tampering with the process of investigations.

Bar association revokes suspension of two BMW case lawyers

New Delhi, June 19 (IANS) The Supreme Court Bar Association Tuesday said it has restored its membership of criminal lawyers I.U. Khan and R.K. Anand, which was suspended after an expose by a TV channel purportedly showed them attempting to bribe a witness.

According to NDTV's investigative report last month, public prosecutor Khan and defence counsel Anand had joined hands to shield former navy chief Admiral S.M. Nanda's grandson Sanjeev Nanda from the clutches of the law in the BMW hit-and-run case of 1999.

Six people had died due to alleged drunken driving in the heart of Delhi.

Apex court bar association president P.S. Parekh told IANS, "The membership of the two lawyers has been restored following a majority decision of the executive committee of the association."

Anand said that the probe committee of the bar association did not find anything against him.

Parekh, however, clarified that the two lawyers "have not been given any clean chit by the bar association committee".

"As the Delhi High Court has initiated the probe into their alleged conduct, we decided to drop our investigation on the same issue," said Parekh.