33 years after taxi rams into four, Bombay high court acquits driver

MUMBAI: Thirty-three years after his taxi rammed into four pedestrians when a gang of robbers threatened him at razor point and forced him to help them flee, Bombay high court has acquitted the cab driver for rash driving. Justice Sarang Kotwal said Hamza Ansari could not be blamed for the injuries as he was exercising his right of private defence.
“Ansari has proved he was made to drive the taxi at razor-point and he himself suffered an injury on his neck.It is his case that he was under real and reasonable apprehension of suffering grievous injury or even of death at the hands of the culprits who had forcibly entered his taxi. Therefore, it cannot be said he drove his taxi rashly and negligently on his own volition. He was forced to do so,” said justice Kotwal. “Though four innocent pedestrians suffered minor injuries, Ansari cannot be held guilty of causing those injuries. He was deprived of his free will...” added the judge.
The court gave him benefit under section 106 of the IPC that says a person is entitled to exercise his private defence even though some innocent person may be harmed by his act.