Death by wheels
We sincerely hope crossing streets won’t be as hazardous as flying a warplane in 2014. Mumbai has seen several hundred deaths in hit-and-run cases in 2013 where rash drivers have mowed down innocent people and walked away with short jail terms.u00a0Whereas had the drivers been convicted under Section 302 (murder), they would have at least been given a life term in prison. Yes, the law has listed a punishment for the crime, but it also is very unfair to the deceased (and their family) that the person who crushed him/her to death can walk free in a matter of five years. A case in point is Nooriya Haveliwala, who walked away with a five-year prison term after mowing down two people including a police sub inspector. Elements of the underworld and supari killers could just take the benefit of this law by using a vehicle to eliminate their targets. At most they could be awarded a prison term of 10 years. Plus there is no need to acquire an expensive firearm or attract the penalty for possessing one. While activists are out on the streets trying to change several other laws, this one really needs to be looked at with immediate effect. We hope that 2014 will be a safer year to cross the streets. But would we bet our money on a law that promises tough and immediate action in rash driving cases? Truth is often stranger than fiction, so who knows!