Shaji Purushothaman fails to appear, trial court defers case to July 30

CHENNAI: EMPEE Group businessman Shaji Purushothaman failed to appear before the trial court on Thursday in the 2013 Egmore drunken driving case, prompting the VII Additional District and Sessions Court to adjourn the matter to July 30 after being informed that he had challenged his conviction before the Supreme Court.

Purushothaman's counsel informed VII Additional District and Sessions Judge P Srikumar that an appeal challenging the conviction had been filed before the Supreme Court.

According to the prosecution, Shaji, allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol and without a valid driving licence, rammed his car onto the pavement near Egmore Children's Hospital on May 22, 2013, killing a 12-year-old boy and injuring four others. He was convicted under Sections 304 (II) and 308 (four counts) of the Indian Penal Code, along with offences under the Motor Vehicles Act, by the VII Additional District and Sessions Judge.

After Shaji failed to appear when the judgment was pronounced on June 29, 2026, the trial court dismissed his plea seeking exemption from personal appearance, issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW), and directed the police to secure his presence for the hearing on the quantum of sentence.

Challenging the warrant, Shaji approached the Madras High Court, stating that he was undergoing physiotherapy for a back ailment and sought exemption from personal appearance. Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy recalled the NBW and directed him to appear before the trial court without fail on July 16, 2026.