The Supreme Court in its judgment on Friday, upholding the conviction of Duncan Grant and Allan Waters by the trial court, has directed the trial judge (sessions court in Mumbai) to take steps to ensure the convicts serve the remaining sentence.
Accordingly, the judgment order of the apex court would be sent to the Bombay high court. Normally, orders are sent to the Supreme Court branch (section). The high court then has the onus of sending a hard copy of the judgment to the sessions court.
On receiving the order, the sessions court will issue arrest warrants which the local police stations (Colaba police) will need to execute. The Colaba police had recorded the First Information Report (FIR) and obtained extradition of the duo from foreign countries. If the accused are not traceable, then the police can follow the procedure to declare them absconders.
In another option, the complainants who filed the FIR in the case — Child Line India — can also procure a certified judgment copy from the apex court and produce it before the sessions court seeking to issue warrants.
Alternatively, the accused can also surrender themselves before the trial court and the court can send them to the prison to serve their remaining sentence.
After being released from Nagpur prison following the high court order that set aside the conviction, Grant is mostly seen cycling in South Mumbai. He regularly comes to the high court and sessions court to meet his lawyers.
