Summary: Sakthi Saravanan, a former military person, was involved in a terrible car accident in Perambalur, Tamil Nadu, on May 11, 2018. The court initially sentenced him to 18 years for causing the death of nine people. However, the sentence was later changed to a requirement for him to pay money to the victims' families, recognizing carelessness rather than reckless driving.
On May 11, 2018, Sakthi Saravanan, a former military person, was driving home after work from the Ramco Cement Factory in Ariyalur. At around 12:10 AM, on the Trichy-Chennai National Highway near Perambalur, his car hit a divider, flipped, and crashed into a Chevrolet Tavera. Sadly, nine people in the Tavera, including children and women, lost their lives. Another vehicle, a Toyota Etios, also got involved, injuring three more people.
The local court in Perambalur found Sakthi Saravanan guilty under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including causing death by carelessness, and sentenced him to 18 years in prison. The court decided that his careless driving led to the accident, even though there was no evidence of alcohol use.
“The local court had found the appellant guilty on all the charges and gave a sentence of two years for each count for the offense of causing death by carelessness (9 counts).”
On November 27, 2025, Justice G. Arul Murugan of the Madras High Court took another look at the case. The appeal pointed out that there was no clear evidence of reckless driving or high speed. The car was driven at a moderate speed of 50 km/h, as confirmed by toll plaza records. The court noted that the car did not have any mechanical problems and suggested that tiredness might have been a factor.
Considering Sakthi Saravanan's age, his military background, and the lack of evidence for reckless driving, the court changed the sentence. Instead of going to jail, he was ordered to pay ₹21 lakh as compensation to the victims' families.
"The sentence of imprisonment is changed only if the appellant pays ₹2,00,000 [Rupees Two Lakhs] each to the families of the 9 deceased persons and ₹1,00,000 [Rupees One Lakh] each to the 3 injured persons."
The court recognized that Sakthi Saravanan was not driving recklessly and adjusted his punishment to a financial penalty, acknowledging his previous service and the lack of evidence for reckless driving.
