Drink-driving:Court gives first time offender chance to reform

Taking a lenient view towards a man guilty of drink-driving, a Delhi court has set aside the jail term awarded to him saying he deserved an opportunity to reform himself.
Special judge Narinder Kumar quashed the sentence of the man, a north Delhi resident, and released him on probation of good conduct for a period of one year on a bond of Rs 10,000 and a surety of the like amount, considering that he was a first time offender.
The court order came on an appeal filed by the convict challenging a November 20 order of a magisterial court sentencing him to seven-day rigorous imprisonment for driving his car in an inebriated state.

"Trial court record does not reveal that the appellant (convict) was a previous convict.
"It is true that quantity of alcohol consumed by him was on higher side, but considering that he is a first offender, court finds that he deserves an opportunity to reform himself, instead of being sent to jail to undergo substantive sentence for the offence under Section 185 (drunken driving) of Motor Vehicle Act," the judge said.
While releasing him on probation of good conduct under Probation of Offenders Act, the court also sought an undertaking from him to appear and receive sentence as and when called upon to do so, during the period of one year, and in the meanwhile maintain good behaviour.

The trial court, while holding him guilty, had also imposed a fine of Rs 2,000, which he has already deposited.
According to the prosecution, the alcohol content found in his body was 124 mg per 100 ml blood, much higher than the permissible limit of 30 mg per 100 ml blood.