Warrant Issued For Shaji Purushothaman After Conviction In 2013 Egmore Fatal Crash

A Chennai sessions court has convicted EMPEE Group scion Shaji Purushothaman for a 2013 drunk driving crash in Egmore that killed a 13-year-old boy and injured several others. Following his conviction, the court issued a non-bailable warrant against Purushothaman after he failed to appear for his sentencing hearing.

VII additional district and sessions judge P Srikumar found Purushothaman guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304(II) and attempt to commit culpable homicide under Section 308 of the Indian Penal Code. He was also convicted under the Motor Vehicles Act for driving without a valid licence and driving under the influence of alcohol.

When the court convened on Monday for sentencing, Purushothaman failed to appear. His legal counsel submitted a petition claiming he was undergoing medical treatment. Judge Srikumar dismissed the petition, noting that no acceptable evidence was produced to substantiate the claim.

The judge then issued a non-bailable warrant, directing the police to secure Purushothaman and produce him before the court. On Tuesday, police informed the court that they were unable to trace him and requested additional time. The court continued the warrant, and search efforts remain under way.

The fatal crash occurred around 1:00 AM on May 23, 2013, in Egmore. According to the prosecution, Purushothaman and three friends had consumed alcohol on the night of May 22. Purushothaman was driving a Mercedes-Benz near the Government Maternity Hospital when he lost control of the vehicle.

The car collided with the front wheel of an oncoming police patrol vehicle, struck a parked motorcycle, and rammed into a bus shelter. The impact injured two youths who were fixing flex boards at the shelter, as well as five people sleeping on the pavement, including 13-year-old Muniraj, Subarchita, Vasu, Khaja Mohideen, and Mani. Muniraj died of his injuries later that night.

The Anna Square traffic investigation wing registered the case based on a complaint by eyewitness Rajesh. Purushothaman was arrested on July 30, 2013, after being declared a proclaimed offender.

During the trial, the prosecution rejected Purushothaman's claim that his friend R M Kumar was driving the car. The prosecution presented the First Information Report, confessional statements from co-passengers, witness testimonies identifying Purushothaman as the driver, and a drunken certificate from Government Royapettah Hospital.

The court also heard that the police inspector who initially allowed Purushothaman to leave the accident scene was suspended, leading to the transfer of the investigation to an Assistant Commissioner of Police. Two other co-accused, Syed Anwar and Anil Rao, were discharged and acquitted, respectively.