Sanjeev Nanda, grandson of former Naval Chief S M Nanda, was on Tuesday convicted by a Delhi court for mowing down six persons in the nine-year-old BMW hit-and-run case and can face a ten-year prison term.
"Sanjeev Nanda, I hold you guilty under Section 304 (Part II) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC," Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Kumar pronounced in a packed court.
The quantum of punishment will be pronounced on Wednesday.
The court also convicted three others -- businessman Rajeev Gupta and his two employees Bhola Nath and Shyam Singh -- for destruction of evidence as they had washed the blood stains and victims' flesh pieces from the offending vehicle.
Nanda, 30, was found guilty of mowing down six persons, including three policemen in the wee hours on January 10, 1999 in the Lodhi Colony in south Delhi.
Manik Kapoor, a friend of Nanda, who was in the vehicle at the time of the accident, was acquitted.
"Convicts Nanda and others be taken into custody," the court ordered, leaving Nanda's father Suresh Nanda, mother and grandmother in tears.
The Section 304 (Part II) of the IPC is applied in a case where an accused commits an act with the knowledge that it is likely to cause death but without any intention to cause death. The provision prescribes a maximum prison term of 10 year or fine or both as punishment.
Nanda, sporting vermilion on his forehead, entered the courtroom around 12.15 pm along with his grandmother, Gyatri Nanda, father and sister Sonali to attend the crucial proceedings on the verdict day.
His family members were left shocked as the court pronounced him guilty under a penal provision which carries a maximum punishment of 10 years.
Tears welled up in the eyes of Nanda's relatives and well-wishers as soon as the judge delivered his judgement. Nanda's advocates also tried to console him.
His relatives, however, refused to comment on the conviction and looked on in disbelief as Nanda, who was out on bail till today, was taken into custody by the police for being taken to Tihar jail van.
Public Prosecutor Rajeev Mohan expressed satisfaction over the outcome of the case which hinged on the circumstantial evidence.
As many as two eye-witnesses, including the sole survivor of the incident Manoj Malik, had turned hostile and claimed that it was not a car but a truck that had caused the incident.
Another high-point during the trial was the sting operation carried out by a news channel to expose the nexus between the former public prosecutor and defence counsel R K Anand.
The sting exposed the collusion between senior defence counsel R K Anand and prosecutor I U Khan, leading to their conviction by the Delhi High Court which also barred them from appearing in court for a few months.
Prosecution, seeking Nanda's conviction under harsher section 304 of the IPC had alleged that he knowingly mowed down the victims.
However, the defence said at best a case of simple accident under IPC section 304A (causing death by negligence), prescribing a maximum two years jail term, was made out against the Nanda as he had no intention, whatsoever, to kill.
Six persons were killed and one person was injured in the accident involving the BMW car. Those killed in incidents were -- Mehdi Hasan, Nazir and Ghulam and three constables Rajan Kumar, Ram Raj and Perulal.
