Youth sentenced to jail for drunk driving gets relief

The jail sometimes "hardens" the first time offender "instead of reforming" him and imprisonment at this stage would put an indelible blot on the youth's future career, Additional Sessions Judge Virender Bhat said while setting aside the jail term handed down by a magisterial court to 24-year-old Vikram Shukla.

"The purpose of sentence is and should be to reform a criminal so as to convert him into a law abiding citizen. It is seen that the sentence of imprisonment, sometimes hardens the first time offender and instead of reforming him, makes him a hardened criminal," the court said, adding that Shukla shall do service in Sai Baba Mandir here, for a period of two months "starting from September 6."

Releasing the youth on a probation, the court said "dealing with the petty cases such as the present one, wherever it is felt necessary, the principle contained in almost all the religious scripture that forgiveness is the best punishment should be invoked."

"Doesn't each of the religion teach us forgiveness and compassion," ASJ Bhat said.

The sessions judge order came on Shukla's plea against the magisterial court's August 1 decision, which had sentenced him to 10 days in jail, beside a fine of Rs 2,000 on him for riding a two-wheeler in an inebriated state in West Delhi.

The judge said the jail term will harm Shukla's career as "he is only 24-year-old, unmarried and is doing a private job. Hence imprisonment at this stage would put an indelible blot on his future career."