Delhi District Court
State vs . Raj Kumar on 13 December, 2011
IN THE COURT OF SH. SAURABH PARTAP SINGH LALER, METROPOLITAN MAGISTRATE06 (East), KARKARDOOMA COURTS, DELHI.
FIR No. : 620/06 PS : Preet Vihar Offence complained of : 279/304 A IPC Date of commission of offence : 14.09.2006 Unique Case ID No. : 02402R0722442006 STATE Vs. Raj Kumar S/o Sh. Tarsem Kumar R/o F21, Krishna Vihar, Delhi.
.............. Accused SI Anant Kumar, PS Preet Vihar, Delhi.
............. Complainant
Date of Institution : 15.12.2006
Plea of accused : Pleaded not guilty.
Date of reserving judgment/ order : 13.12.2011
Date of pronouncement :13.12.2011
Final Order : Acquitted
BRIEF STATEMENT OF THE REASONS FOR THE DECISION ALLEGATIONS The story of the prosecution is that on 14.09.2006 at about 9:05 PM at Patparganj Road, Madhuban Chowk, Delhi, falling within the jurisdiction of Police Station Preet Vihar, the accused Raj Kumar was driving a bus bearing number DL 1PB5326 in a rash and negligent manner and while driving the said vehicle in such FIR No. 620/06 Page No. 1 / 13 a manner, accused struck against one motorcycle bearing No. DL1SP0212, because of which Mohd. Akhtar fell down on the road and received injuries which ultimately resulted into his death. Thus, accused Raj Kumar is alleged to have committed offence punishable under section 279/304A IPC.
FIR On the basis of the said allegations and on the complaint of the complainant SI Anant Kumar, an FIR bearing number 620/06 under section 279/304A IPC was lodged at Police Station Preet Vihar on 14.09.2006.
NOTICE After investigation, chargesheet under section 173 Cr.P.C was filed on 15.12.2006.
The accused was summoned to face trial and he was supplied the copy of charge sheet as per section 207 Cr.P.C.
On the basis of the chargesheet, a notice for the offence punishable under section 279/304A IPC was framed against the accused Raj Kumar and read out to the said accused person, to which the accused pleaded not guilty and claimed trial on 10.03.2010.
JUDICIAL RESOLUTION To bring home the guilt of rash and negligent driving to the accused, three things need to be proved by the prosecution that to beyond any reasonable doubt. The three essential ingredients are as follows: (1)That the accident actually took place.
(2)That the accident took place due to rash and negligent driving. (3)That the accused was the person who was driving the vehicle at the relevant time.
These words i.e "rash" and "negligent", have not been defined in the FIR No. 620/06 Page No. 2 / 13 Indian Penal Code. However as per Blacks Law Dictionary, Eighth Edition the word 'Negligent' is characterized by a person's failure to exercise the degree of care that someone of ordinary prudence would have exercised in the same circumstances.
Quoting from the article "Negligence, Mens Rea and Criminal Responsibility" by H.L.A.Hart in Punishment and Responsibility the dictionary further goes on to explain the difference between an act done inadvertently and an act done negligently.
"[A] careful consideration is needed of the difference between the meaning of the expression like 'inadvertently' and 'while his mind was a blank' on the one hand, and 'negligently' on the other hand. In ordinary English, and also in Lawyer's English, when harm has resulted from someone's negligence, if we say of that person that he has acted negligently we are not thereby merely describing the frame of mind in which he acted. 'He negligently broke a saucer' is not the same kind of expression as 'he inadvertently broke a saucer'. The point of adverb 'inadvertently' is merely to inform us of the agent's psychological state, whereas if we say 'He broke it negligently' we are not merely adding to this an element of blame or reproach, but something quite specific, viz. we are referring to the fact that the agent failed to comply with a standard of conduct with which any ordinary reasonable man could and would have complied: a standard requiring him to take precautions against harm. The word 'negligently', both in legal and non legal contexts, makes an essential reference to an omission to do what is thus required: it is not a flatly descriptive psychological expression like 'his mind was a blank'."
The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, Sixth Edition defines 'Rash'as doing something that may not be sensible without first thinking about the possible results.
Elaborating further, in State of H.P. v. Piar Chand, Cr. Appeal No. 109 of 2003, decided on 2.6.2003, Himachal Pradesh High Court, while dealing FIR No. 620/06 Page No. 3 / 13 with the meaning of the expression " rashness " and " negligence " held as follows :
"18. Criminal rashness is doing a dangerous or wanton act with the knowledge that it is so and may cause injury but without intention to cause injury and without knowledge that injury would probably be caused. Therefore, to incur criminal liability, the act must be done with rashness or indifference as to the consequences. Criminal negligence is the gross and culpable neglect or failure to exercise reasonable care and proper precaution imperative to be adopted by a person to avoid causing of injury to the public or a person or a individual."
The court would also like to refer to a very recent judgment of the Honorable Supreme Court of India elaborating further the requirements of section 304A of IPC. Quoting from Rathnashalvan v. State of Karnataka, (SC) 2007 A.I.R. (SC) 1064.
"Section 304A applies to cases where there is no intention to cause death and no knowledge that the act done in all probability will cause death. The provision is directed at offences outside the range of Sections 299 and 300 IPC. The provision applies only to such acts which are rash and negligent and are directly cause of death of another person. Negligence and rashness are essential elements under Section 304A. Culpable negligence lies in the failure to exercise reasonable and proper care and the extent of its reasonableness will always depend upon the circumstances of each case. Rashness means doing an act with the consciousness of a risk that evil consequences will follow but with the hope that it will not. Negligence is a breach of duty imposed by law. In criminal cases, the amount and degree of negligence are determining factors. A question whether the accused's conduct amounted to culpable rashness or negligence depends directly on the question as to what is the amount of care and circumspection which a prudent and reasonable man would consider it to be sufficient considering all the circumstances of the case. Criminal rashness means hazarding a dangerous or wanton act with the knowledge that it is dangerous or wanton and the further knowledge that it may cause injury but done without any FIR No. 620/06 Page No. 4 / 13 intention to cause injury or knowledge that it would probably be caused.
As noted above, " Rashness " consists in hazarding a dangerous or wanton act with the knowledge that it is so, and that it may cause injury. The criminality lies in such a case in running the risk of doing such an act with recklessness or indifference as to the consequences. Criminal negligence on the other hand, is the gross and culpable neglect or failure to exercise that reasonable and proper care and precaution to guard against injury either to the public generally or to an individual in particular, which, having regard to all the circumstances out of which the charge has arisen it was the imperative duty of the accused person to have adopted.
8. The distinction has been very aptly pointed out by Holloway, J. in these words :
"Culpable rashness is acting with the consciousness that the mischievous and illegal consequences may follow, but with the hope that they will not, and often with the belief that the actor has taken sufficient precautions to prevent their happening. The imputability arises from acting despite the consciousness. Culpable negligence is acting without the consciousness that the illegal and mischievous effect will follow, but in circumstances which show that the actor has not exercised the caution incumbent upon him and that if he had, he would have had the consciousness. The imputability arises from the negligence of the civic duty of circumspection." (See In Re : Nidamorti Nagabhusanam 7 Mad. HCR 119)".
In order to prove the above said allegations, the prosecution cited 9 witnesses, of which the complainant is SI Anant Kumar, who has been examined as PW2. All the other witnesses are formal witnesses and none of them is a witness to the accident. Public Witnesses i.e., Iqbal Ahmed and Saleha Khatoon FIR No. 620/06 Page No. 5 / 13 are not the witnesses to the accident, they are merely the witnesses with respect to dead body identification.
In the present case, there is no eye witness to the accident. All the witnesses cited by prosecution are formal witnesses and sufficient only to prove that deceased Mohd. Akhtar received injuries and that an FIR with respect to the said accident was lodged on the same day at PS Preet Vihar vide FIR bearing No. 620/06.
PW - 2 Complainant SI Anant Kumar deposed in his examinationin chief that on 14.09.06 on receipt of DD No. 25 A he along with Ct. Ram Kumar reached at Madhuban Chowk, Patparganj Road, opposite bank of Baroda where he found a bus bearing No. DL1PB5326 and a motorcycle bearing No. DL1SP0212 in accidental condition and behind the left rear tyre of the bus he also found a dead body of a boy. He further deposed that no eye witness was found present at the spot. Thereafter, he prepared tehrir Ex. PW2/A and got the FIR registered through Ct. Shyam Vir. The said witness seized the motorcycle, bus, mobile phone, one pana, one screw driver, one plas, key, a cross tool, D/L of deceased, RC of motorcycle and pollution certificate vide memos Ex. PW2/B, PW2/C and Ex. PW 2/D respectively. He also prepared site plan Ex. PW2/E. The said witness further deposed that on 15.09.2006 Gagan Kumar produced the accused, thereafter, he arrested the accused and conducted his personal search vide memos Ex. PW2/G and PW2/H and seized the other documents vide memo Ex. PW2/J and PW2/K. Both the vehicles were mechanically inspected vide memos Ex. PW2/L and PW2/M. On 16.09.2006 postmortem of deceased was conducted and thereafter body of deceased was handed over to the relatives of deceased and he recorded the statement of witnesses with respect to dead body identification Ex. PW2/N and PW2/O. FIR No. 620/06 Page No. 6 / 13 The said witness was crossexamined by Ld. Defence Counsel but nothing material is found in his cross.
The only other witness examined by the prosecution is PW 1 Ct. Shyamvir who is a formal witness.
It may be noted that both PW2 SI Anant Kumar and PW1 Ct. Shyamvir deposed that they were not able to find any eye witness of the accident at the spot.
There is no eye witness in the present case, thus, in the absence of testimony of eye witness, the prosecution can never prove that the offending bus was being driven by accused Raj Kumar in rash and negligent manner.
The remaining witnesses who are yet to be examined by the prosecution are all formal witnesses of which PWs Iqbal Ahmed and Saleha Khatoon are the witnesses to dead body identification. None of the remaining witnesses is an eye witness to the accident.
In the present case there is no eye witness and no other witness is competent enough to prove the guilt of the accused.
The prosecution, through the oral testimony of complainant SI Anant Kumar failed to bring forth oral evidence to prove that the accident was caused by the vehicle bearing number DL1PB5326, which was being driven by the accused Raj Kumar in a rash and negligent manner.
In the absence of testimony of any eye witness and sufficient circumstantial witnesses, the testimony of all the remaining witnesses together is insufficient to prove the allegations against the accused qua offences u/s 279/304A IPC.
The case is at the stage of PE, however, in the absence of testimony of any eye witness and circumstantial witnesses, there is nothing FIR No. 620/06 Page No. 7 / 13 incriminating against the accused for proceeding further and recording the statement of remaining formal witnesses would be futile and wastage of judicial time, resources and money.
In the opinion of the court, the present case is squarely covered by the judgment cited above and a fit case where the court should exercise its power under section 258 of Cr.P.C and stop the proceedings qua offences u/s 279/304A IPC as continuing with trial will not only be wastage of state money rather it will also be wastage of judicial time and harassment to the accused.
In "P. Ramachandra Rao v. State of Karnataka" AIR 2002 SUPREME COURT 1856 ( Coram : 7 S. P. BHARUCHA, C.J.I., S. S. M. QUADRI, R. C. LAHOTI, N. SANTOSH HEGDE, DORAISWAMY RAJU, Mrs. RUMA PAL, A. PASAYAT, JJ.) the Honorable Supreme Court while commenting upon the right to speedy justice observed:
"22. Is it at all necessary to have limitation bars terminating trials and proceedings? Is there no effective mechanism available for achieving the same end? The Criminal Procedure Code, as it stands, incorporates a few provisions to which resort can be had for protecting the interest of the accused and saving him from unreasonable prolixity or laxity at the trial amounting to oppression. Section 309, dealing with power to postpone or adjourn proceedings, provides generally for every inquiry or trial, being proceeded with as expeditiously as possible, and in particular, when the examination of witnesses has once begun, the same to be continued from day to day until all the witnesses in attendance have been examined, unless the Courts finds the adjournment of the same beyond the following days to be necessary for reasons to be recorded. Explanation2 to Section 309 confers power on the Court to impose costs to be paid by the prosecution or the accused, in appropriate cases; and putting the parties on terms while granting an adjournment or postponing of proceedings. This power to impose costs is rarely exercised by the Courts. Section 258, in Chapter XX of FIR No. 620/06 Page No. 8 / 13 Cr.P.C., on Trial Summons cases, empowers the Magistrate trying summons cases instituted otherwise than upon complaint, for reasons to be recorded by him, to stop the proceedings at any stage without pronouncing any judgment and where such stoppage of proceedings is made after the evidence of the principal witnesses has been recorded, to pronounce a judgment of acquittal, and in any other case, release the accused, having effect of discharge. This provision is almost never used by the Courts. In appropriate cases, inherent power to the High Court, under Section 482 can be invoked to make such orders, as may be necessary, to give effect to any order under the Code of Criminal Procedure or to prevent abuse of the process of any Court, or otherwise, to secure the ends of justice. The power is wide and, if judiciously and consciously exercised, can take care of almost all the situations where interference by the High Court becomes necessary on account of delay in proceedings or for any other reason amounting to oppression or harassment in any trial, inquiry or proceedings. In appropriate cases, the High Courts have exercised their jurisdiction under Section 482 of Cr.P.C. for quashing of first information report and investigation, and terminating criminal proceedings if the case of abuse of process of law was clearly made out. Such power can certainly be exercised on a case being made out of breach of fundamental right conferred by Article 21 of the Constitution. The Constitution Bench in A.R. Antulay's case referred to such power, vesting in the High Court (vide paras 62 and 65 of its judgment) and held that it was clear that even apart from Article 21, the Courts can take care of undue or inordinate delays in criminal matters or proceedings if they remain pending for too long and putting to an end, by making appropriate orders, to further proceedings when they are found to be oppressive and unwarranted." (emphasis supplied) "30.For all the foregoing reasons, we are of the opinion that in Common Cause case (I) (1996 AIR SCW 2279 : AIR 1996 SC 1619 : 1996 Cri LJ 2380) (as modified in Common Cause (II) 1997 AIR SCW 290 : AIR 1997 SC 1539 : 1997 Cri LJ 195 (1998 AIR SCW 3208 : AIR 1998 SC 3281 : 1998 Cri LJ 4596) and Raj FIR No. 620/06 Page No. 9 / 13 Deo Sharma (I) and (II) (1999 AIR SCW 3522 : AIR 1999 SC 3524 : 1998 Cri LJ 4541), the Court could not have prescribed periods of limitation beyond which the trial of a criminal case or a criminal proceeding cannot continue and must mandatorily be closed followed by an order acquitting or discharging the accused. In conclusion we hold: (1) The dictum in A.R. Antulay's case is correct and still holds the field.
(2) The propositions emerging from Article 21 of the Constitution and expounding the right to speedy trial laid down as guidelines in A.R. Antulay's case, adequately take care of right to speedy trial. We uphold and reaffirm the said propositions. (3) The guidelines laid down in A.R. Antulay's case are not exhaustive but only illustrative. They are not intended to operate as hard and fast rules or to be applied like a straitjacket formula. Their applicability would depend on the factsituation of each case. It is difficult to foresee all situations and no generalization can be made.
(4) It is neither advisable, nor feasible, nor judicially permissible to draw or prescribe an outer limit for conclusion of all criminal proceedings. The timelimits or bars of limitation prescribed in the several directions made in Common Cause (I), Raj Deo Sharma (I) and Raj Deo Sharma (II) could not have been so prescribed or drawn and are not good law. The criminal courts are not obliged to terminate trial or criminal proceedings merely on account of lapse of time, as prescribed by the directions made in Common Cause Case (I), Raj Deo Sharma Case (I) and (II) . At the most the periods of time prescribed in those decisions can be taken by the courts seized of the trial or proceedings to act as reminders when they may be persuaded to apply their judicial mind to the facts and circumstances of the case before them and determine by taking into consideration the several relevant factors as pointed out in A.R. Antulay's case and decide whether the trial or proceedings have become so inordinately delayed as to be called oppressive and unwarranted. Such timelimits cannot and will not by themselves be treated by any Court as a bar to further continuance of the trial or proceedings and a mandatorily obliging the court of FIR No. 620/06 Page No. 10 / 13 terminate the same and acquit or discharge the accused. (5) The Criminal Courts should exercise their available powers, such as those under Sections 309, 311 and 258 of Code of Criminal Procedure to effectuate the right to speedy trial. A watchful and diligent trial Judge can prove to be better protector of such right than any guidelines. In appropriate cases jurisdiction of High Court under Section 482 of Cr.P.C. and Articles 226 and 227 of Constitution can be invoked seeking appropriate relief or suitable directions. (6) This is an appropriate occasion to remind the Union of India and the State Governments of their constitutional obligation to strengthen the judiciary - quantitatively and qualitatively by providing requisite funds, manpower and infrastructure. We hope and trust that the Governments shall act." (emphasis supplied) In "Pankaj Kumar v. State of Maharashtra" AIR 2008 SUPREME COURT 3077 (Coram : 2 C. K. THAKKER AND D. K. JAIN, JJ.)the Honorable Supreme Court, while relying upon the aforesaid judgment, observed:
"16. Notwithstanding elaborate enunciation of Article 21 of the Constitution in Abdul Rehman Antulay (supra), and rejection of the fervent plea of proponents of right to speedy trial for laying down timelimits as bar beyond which a criminal trial shall not proceed pronouncements of this Court in "Common Cause" A Registered Society Vs. Union of India (UOI) and Ors., "Common Cause", A Registered Society Vs. Union of India and Ors., Raj Deo Sharma Vs. State of Bihar and Raj Deo Sharma II Vs. State of Bihar gave rise to some confusion on the question whether an outer time limit for conclusion of criminal proceedings could be prescribed whereafter the trial court would be obliged to terminate the proceedings and necessarily acquit or discharge the accused. The confusion on the issue was set at rest by a sevenJudge Bench of this court in P. Ramachandra Rao Vs. State of Karnataka. Speaking for the majority, R.C. Lahoti, J. (as his Lordship then was) while affirming that the dictum in A.R. Antulay's case (supra) is correct and still holds the field and the propositions emerging from Article 21 of the Constitution and expounding the right to speedy trial laid down as guidelines in the said case adequately take care of right to FIR No. 620/06 Page No. 11 / 13 speedy trial, it was held that guidelines laid down in the A.R. Antulay's case (supra) are not exhaustive but only illustrative. They are not intended to operate as hard and fast rules or to be applied like a straitjacket formula. Their applicability would depend on the factsituation of each case as it is difficult to foresee all situations and no generalization can be made. It has also been held that it is neither advisable, nor feasible, nor judicially permissible to draw or prescribe an outer limit for conclusion of all criminal proceedings. Nonetheless, the criminal courts should exercise their available powers such as those under Sections 309, 311 and 258 of CrPC to effectuate the right to speedy trial. In appropriate cases, jurisdiction of the High Court under Section 482 CrPC and Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution can be invoked seeking appropriate relief or suitable directions. The outer limits or power of limitation expounded in the aforenoted judgments were held to be not in consonance with the legislative intent." (emphasis supplied) Accordingly, in the opinion of the court, in the light of the above cited judgments, the court needs to exercise its power under section 258 Cr.P.C qua offences u/s 279/304A IPC to make the ends of justice meet.
Final Order In the light of the aforesaid discussion and cited judgments, the court while protecting the right of the accused to have speedy justice invokes the power conferred upon it under S.258 of Cr.P.C to stop the proceedings against the accused Raj Kumar qua offences u/s 279/304A IPC in the present summons police case and hereby releases the accused Raj Kumar under sections 279/304A IPC, which shall have the effect of acquittal.FIR No. 620/06 Page No. 12 / 13
As per section 437A of the Cr.P.C, as inserted vide the Amendment Act, which came into force on 31.12.2009, the personal bond and the surety bond of the accused as well as surety shall remain intact for a period of six months from today.
File be consigned to Record Room.
ANNOUNCED ON 13.12.2011.
(SAURABH PARTAP SINGH LALER) MM06(East)/ KKD/ 13.12.2011 Certified that this judgment contains 13 pages and each page bears my signatures.
(SAURABH PARTAP SINGH LALER) MM06(East)/ KKD/ 13.12.2011 FIR No. 620/06 Page No. 13 / 13