From correspondents in Maharashtra, India, 09:30 PM IST

Six labourers sleeping on a pavement were run over and eight others injured when a speeding Toyota Corolla, driven by allegedly drunk youngsters returning from a five-star hotel, hit them in upscale Carter Road in suburban Bandra here early Sunday.

The victims were sleeping when the vehicle spun out of control, crashing into the makeshift huts of the pavement dwellers at 3.45 a.m., according to a police official.

All victims were migrant workers from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, working at a road construction site nearby.

Three of the eight injured were in a critical condition and being treated at the Bhabha Hospital.

'There were six youths in the Toyota car - all between the ages of 18 and 21. They were returning from the Taj Land's End Hotel after a late night party,' Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) V.K. Choubey told reporters.

'The person driving the car, Alister Pereira, has been charged with culpable homicide under Section 304, which is a non-bailable offence, and several other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

'The other five arrested have been identified as Ken Roy Jacob and Craig Pereira, Kurt Delimar, Marvin Pinto and Daniela who have been charged under the Prohibition Act.

'While Alister Pereira, Ken Roy Jacob and Craig Pereira were arrested from the incident site, three others - Kurt Delmar, Marvin Pinto and Daniela - were picked up later after Alister and the others gave us their identities,' Choubey said.

'It is case of drunken driving. The six were drinking in the car when the incident took place. We found a bottle of whiskey in the car. All the six were produced before a court. While Alister Pereira has been remanded to police custody till Nov 14, the others were let out on bail.'

Police have seized the vehicle, which did not have a registration number plate.

This is the latest in a series of such incidents across Mumbai. In most cases, celebrities and high-ranking professionals out partying nightlong have been involved in drunken and rash driving.

In September 2000, actor Salman Khan's Toyota Land Cruiser rammed into a bakery in suburban Bandra, killing one person and injuring four others sleeping outside.

In August 2005, industrialist Manish Khatau allegedly ran over a constable at Marine Drive. In February this year, Neel Chatterjee, an executive with Standard Chartered Bank, allegedly ran over a watchman in Mumbai's Prabha Devi area.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)