Santosh Mane, the former state transport (ST) driver who is facing death penalty for mowing down nine persons and injuring 36 others in Pune, had no remorse afterwards, the government lawyer today told the Bombay High Court.
A division bench of justices V M Kanade and P D Kode is hearing a petition filed by the government seeking confirmation of the death sentence awarded to Mane by a trial court. Mane has also challenged the sentence, pleading insanity.
During today's hearing, Justice Kanade asked whether Mane showed any remorse after the incident. To this, prosecutor Sandeep Shinde said he showed no remorse at all.
However, Mane's lawyer advocate Jagdish Mane said his client was "sorry" after he realised what had happened.
"When he realised that he had killed and injured persons, he was sorry. At the time of the incident, he was not aware what he was doing," he said.
To the court's query, Shinde also said government had immediately granted compensation to the injured and families of the deceased. "A total of Rs 36 lakh was given to the families of deceased, Rs 3 lakh (each) by Pune Municipal Corporation and Rs 1 lakh by the state government," he said.
The judges noted that the convict was not denying the incident but pleading insanity. "They are not raising doubt over the incident....They had not even cross-examined many witnesses before the trial court. However, from the incident one can't infer that he was insane," Justice Kanade observed.
Defence lawyer repeatedly claimed that Mane was of unsound mind and had undergone psychiatric treatment in 2010.
On the morning of January 25, 2012, Mane hijacked a parked, empty ST bus from Swargate depot in the heart of Pune and went on a rampage, mowing down whoever came in his path. He was chased and nabbed after 45 minutes.
The arguments would continue tomorrow.
