Drunk drivers sentenced to 'menial work' in Delhi hospitals

New Delhi: Two men sentenced to five and ten days imprisonment for drunken driving have been given a chance by a Delhi court to reform themselves by doing community service at government hospitals including doing “menial” jobs there. Additional Sessions Judge Savita Rao directed Central Delhi residents Harbhajan Singh and Vinod Prasad, convicted in separate cases of drunken driving, to serve at St Stephens Hospital and Hegdewar Hospital respectively for ten days. The court directed them to do community service “including the menial jobs as assigned by the medical superintendent of the hospitals to grant them an opportunity to reform themselves.” [caption id=“attachment_928581” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  representational image. Reuters[/caption] The ASJ also directed the medical superintendents of the two hospitals to send a compliance report of its order. The order of the court came on appeal moved by Singh and Prasad against the magisterial court order. While Singh was sentenced to ten day imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2100 by the magistrate on his pleading guilty to drunken driving, Prasad was handed down five day simple imprisonment and slapped with a fine of Rs 2,000. After depositing the fine amount, Singh in his appeal before the Sessions court said being a widower, he has to look after his three children and assured the court that he would not repeat the offence in future. Prasad also pleaded for leniency, saying he is the sole bread earner in his family comprising five children and his family will have to face social stigma if he is sent to jail. PTI